Anterior fontanelle size in Scottish infants.

Very limited information is available on the normal size of the anterior fontanelle but this measurement may be of value in the early diagnosis for example of bone diseases, and of hypothyroidism. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference range applicable to the first two years of life, using a larger sample population than previous studies. Measurements were made of the anterior-posterior and transverse dimensions in 334 full term infants between birth and the age of 24 months. Despite the wide variation, both in size and age of closure, it proved possible to define a reference range and also, for the first time, to present a centile chart.