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. 2019 May;55(5):588-593.
doi: 10.1111/jpc.14253. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Closure of the anterior and posterior fontanelle in the New Zealand population: A computed tomography study

Joshua Kirkpatrick  1 , Sarah Bowie  2 , Seyed A Mirjalili  1
Affiliations

Closure of the anterior and posterior fontanelle in the New Zealand population: A computed tomography study

Joshua Kirkpatrick et al. J Paediatr Child Health. 2019 May.

Abstract

Aim: Significant ethnic variation has been demonstrated in the closure of the anterior fontanelle (AF); however, to date, this has not been investigated in the Māori/Pasifika population.

Methods: The computed tomography scans of 163 individuals (116 Māori/Pasifika and 47 New Zealand (NZ) European) aged between birth and 4 years were retrospectively analysed to investigate the surface area (SA) and time of closure of the anterior and posterior fontanelles in New Zealand.

Results: The Māori/Pasifika group showed clinical AF closure (SA < 114 mm2 ) rates of 25% at 4-6 months, increasing to 47% at 10-12 months and 80% at 13-18 months. The posterior fontanelle was clinically unfused in 17% of the Māori/Pasifika group aged <1 month and in 7% of the 1-3-month-old group. No cases of posterior fontanelle non-fusion were identified in the NZ European population.

Conclusion: This study establishes normal values for AF size and closure frequency for the first time in the paediatric Māori/Pasifika population.

Keywords: anterior fontanelle; computer tomography; infant; population standards; posterior fontanelle.

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