ANTERIOR FONTANELLE SIZE IN NIGERIAN CHILDREN

Anterior fontanelle (AF) dimensions were studied in 337 normal and app arently healthy Nigerian infants aged from 1 week to 12 months in Ibad an, Nigeria. Mean anterior fontanelle size fell from 3.4 cm in neonate s to 2.5 cm at 4-6 months and to 0.8 cm at 10-12 months. The anterior fontanelle was closed in 11% of Pd-month-olds and 53% of 10-12-month-o lds. The mean AF size in neonates was larger than published figures fr om Caucasian and Chinese populations, but at 12 months mean AF size in Nigerian infants was smaller than published Caucasian and Chinese fig ures. The quartiles of the distribution of the AF size are also presen ted. It is concluded that there may be important racial differences in AF sizes and closure and closure frequencies in the Ist year of life and that appropriate local references should be used when attempting t o classify a given AF size as normal or abnormal.