Fontanelles - excessively large
Definition
Excessively large fontanelles are larger-than-expected soft spots for the age of a baby. In an infant, the spaces where bones of the skull come together, but are not completely joined, are called soft spots or fontanelle (fontanel or fonticulus).
Alternative Names
Soft spot - largeConsiderations
Fontanelles allows for growth of the skull during an infant's first year. Slow or incomplete closure of the skull bones is most often the cause of a wide fontanelle.
For general information, see fontanelles.
Causes
Larger-than-normal fontanelles are most commonly caused by:
- Achondroplasia
- Down syndrome
- Hydrocephalus
- Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)
- Prematurity
Rarer causes:
- Apert syndrome
- Cleidocranial dysostosis
- Congenital rubella
- Neonatal hypothyroidism
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Rickets
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