Definition of Fontanelles - excessively large:
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).
Considerations:
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.
Common Causes:
Larger-than-normal fontanelles are most commonly caused by:
Rarer causes:
