Anterior fontanel: size and closure in term and preterm infants.

Size and closure of the anterior fontanel from birth to 24 months of age and their relationships to growth parameters, bone age, and gestational age are reported in 111 term and 128 preterm infants. Great variability of both fontanel size and age when fontanel closed was observed. There were no significant differences in size and age at closure of the anterior fontanel between term and preterm infants or between the sexes. At ages beyond term, fontanel size was negatively correlated with weight and length; however, only a few correlations reached statistical significance. No significant relationships were noted between anterior fontanel size and head circumference or bone age. Age at closure of the anterior fontanel was also not significantly related to any of the growth parameters or bone age.