The document discusses the structure and features of the fetal skull. It describes that the fetal skull is made of thin, compressible bones that form the vault. It identifies three main areas - the vertex, brow, and face. It then explains key features like the fontanelles, sutures, and diameters. The anterior fontanelle is formed by four sutures and allows for brain growth and molding of the head during birth. Molding refers to the alteration of the skull shape to pass through the birth canal. The biparietal diameter is an important transverse measurement between the parietal eminences.

1. FETAL SKULL
PRESENTED BY
Ms. Satnam Kaur Mand

2. FETAL SKULL
Fetal skull is compressible, and made mainly
of thin pliable tabular(flat) bones forming
the vault.
AREAS OF SKULL
VERTEX
BROW
FACE

3. • VERTEX: It is a quadrangular area
bounded anteriorly by the bregma and coronal
suture behind by the lambda and lambdoidal
sutures and laterally by lines passing through
the parietal eminences.
• BROW :It is an area bounded on one side
by the anterior fontanelle and coronal sutures
and on the other side by the root of the nose and
supra-orbital ridges of either side.

4. •FACE:
It is the area
bounded by the
root of the nose
and supra-orbital
ridges and on the
other, by the
junction of the
floor of the
mouth with neck.

5. SINCIPUT: is the
area lying in front of
the anterior fontanelle
and corresponds to the
area of brow.
OCCIPUT: is the
area limited to the
occipital bone.

6. SUTURES
Flat bones of the vault are united together by
the non-osssified membranes attached to
the margins of the bones. These are called
sutures.
THE SAGGITAL SUTURE: lies b/w two
parietal bones.
THE CORONAL SUTURES :run b/w
parietal and frontal bones on either sides.

8. Cont…
THE FRONTAL
SUTURE : lies b/w
two frontal bones.
THE LAMBDOIDAL
SUTURES : separate
the occiput bone and
two parietal bones.

9. IMPORTANCE
• It permits gliding movement of one bone
over the other during moulding of the head.
• Digital palpations of sagittal suture during
internal examination in labour gives an idea
of the manner of engagement of the head,
degree of internal rotation of the head and
degree of moulding of the head.

10. FONTANELLES
Wide gap in the suture line is called fontanelle.
Two obstetrical significance fontanelle are:
• ANTERIOR FONTANELLE:
Formed by joining four sutures in midplane.
Anteriorly frontal.
Posteriorly saggital.
On either side coronal suture.

11. Diamond like shape.
Floor is made by a
membrane.
Ossified at 18mth
after birth.

12. IMPORTANCE
• Its palpation thru internal examination
denotes the degree of flexion of the head.
• It facilitates the moulding of the head.
• It helps in accomodating the marked brain
growth.
• Palpation reflects intracranial status.

14. • POSTERIOR
FONTANELLE:
Formed by junction of
three sutures.
Saggital suture
anteriorly.
Lambdoidal suture on
either side.

15. Triangular in
shape.
Measures about
1.2 X 1.2cm.
Its floor is
membranous but
become bony at
3mth.

16. IMPORTANCE
• It denotes the position of the head in
relation to maternal pelvic.

17. DIAMETERS OF SKULL

18. DIAMETERS
SUBOCCIPITTO-BREGMATIC:
9.5cm extends from nape of neck to centre of bregma.
SUBOCCIPITO-FRONTAL : 10cm extends from nape of
neck to centre of sinciput.
OCCIPITO-FRONTAL:11.5cm extends from the occipital
eminence to the root of the nose.
MENTO -VERTICAL:14cm extends from the mid point
of chin to the highest pt. on the saggital suture.
SUBMENTO-VERTICAL: 11.5CM extends from junction
of floor of mouth and neck to the highest pt. on saggital
suture.
SUBMENTO-BREGMATIC: 9.5CM extends from
junction of floor of mouth and neck to centre of bregma.

19. TRANSEVERSE DIAMETERS
• BIPARIETAL DIAMETER:9.5cm
extends b/w two parietal eminences.
• SUPER-SUBPARIETAL:8.5cm
extends from a point placed below one
parietal eminence to a pt. placed above the
other parietal eminence of the opposite side.
• BI-TEMPORAL: 8cm dist. b/w antero-
inferior ends of the coronal suture.

20. • BI-MASTOID: 7.5cm dist. b/w tips of the
mastoid process.
MOULDING:
It is the alteration of the shape of the forecoming head
while passing thru the resistant birth passage during
labour.
IMPORTANCE:
 Enables head to pass more easily, thru the birth
canal.
 Shape of the moulding can be an useful information
about the position of head occupied in the pelvis.

21. SUMMARIZATION
Today we have discussed about:
• Structure of Fetal Skull
• Fontanelles
• Sutures
• Diameters of Fetal Skull
• Moulding

22. RECAPTUALIZATION
• What is fetal skull?
• What is anterior fontanelle?
• What is moulding?
• What is biparietal diameter?

23. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Dutta D.C. Textbook of obstetrics 6th
edition central publishers.page-83-94,42-
44.
• www.blurtit.com/q328911.
• www.tripdatabase.com/doc/226448
• www.purposegames.com/game/fetal-
skull-fontanelles.