noun
- a soft spot on an infant's skull where the bones have not yet fused, allowing the head to compress during birth and the brain to grow.
Usage: Also spelled fontanelle (chiefly British).; Commonly used in pediatrics and child development contexts.
Examples
- The doctor gently examined the baby's fontanel during the newborn checkup.
- A bulging fontanel can sometimes indicate increased pressure in the brain.
- Most infants' fontanels close completely by age two.
- The anterior fontanel is the largest soft spot on a baby's head.
- Parents are often worried about touching the fontanel, but it is quite tough.