DIVISION OF FETAL SKULL

• The fetal head is egg shaped
• The fetal skull is divided into;

1. Vault: This is the large dome-shaped part of the skull that covers the brain.
2. Base: It’s composed of united bones which protect the medulla.
3. Face: It is composed of 14 small bones which are united.

What is Vault

• Frontal bones: They have frontal protuberance and 2 in number
• Parietal bones: Lie on either side of the
• The occiput: It is at the back of the skull. It has a protrusion called occipital protuberance or eminence.
• On the sides, there are 2 Temporal bones.

What is Suture

Sutures are the cranial joints formed where two bones meet.

• Coronal suture separates the parietal bone and frontal bones.
• Frontal suture separates the two frontal bones. 
• Sagittal suture separates the two parietal bones
• Lambdoidal suture separates the occipital bone and the parietal bones.
• Temporal suture separates the parietal bones from temporal bones.

FONTANELLES

• Fontanelles are formed when two or more sutures meet.
• There are two main fontanelles
• Posterior fontanelle: This is formed by the junction of the parietal and lambdoidal suture. It is triangular in shape. It closes after six weeks of birth of the baby. It is also called LAMBDA ,OCCIPITAL FONTANELLE. It is usually less than 1cm in diameter.
• Anterior fontanelle: This is formed by the junction of coronal and sagittal.

Face Of Fetal Skull

It is composed of 14 bones:

• INFERIOR NASAL COCHA 2
• BONES VOMER 1
• LACRIMAL BONE 2
• ZYGOMATIC BONES 2
• PALATINE BONE 2
• MANDIBLE 1
• MAXILLA 2
• NASAL BONES 2

The Base Of The Fetal Skull

It’s composed of three (3) bones:

• Ethmoid Bone
• Sphenoid Bone
• Temporal Bone

Importance Of Fetal Skull To The Midwifery

1. It contains the delicate brain and about 95% of babies present by head
2. Sound knowledge of fetal diameter and measurement causes the least problems during labor and delivery through the diagnosis of abnormalities in presentation and position, also disproportion between the fetal head and the pelvis can be easily recognized.
3. Delivery can be conducted with minimal injuries to the mother and baby.