Human Skull Model, Infant

Quick Answer: The Human Skull Model, Infant is an infant skull model showing the skull of a baby in the months after birth. It is used to teach how the fontanelles close, how the skull and jaws grow and how an infant’s head differs from an adult’s.

How the Skull Changes After Birth

An infant skull is still a work in progress. The posterior fontanelle usually closes within the first two to three months, while the larger anterior fontanelle commonly closes somewhere between about one and two years of age. Until then, the soft spot on top of the head gives nurses a simple clinical sign: a sunken fontanelle can point to dehydration, and a tense, bulging one to raised pressure inside the skull.

The skull grows quickly in the first year to keep pace with the brain, which is why head circumference is measured and plotted at routine checks. If a suture fuses too early, a condition called craniosynostosis, growth is blocked across that suture and the head develops an unusual shape. Other infant features are easy to point out on a model: the two halves of the mandible are only joining at the chin, the mastoid process behind the ear has hardly formed, and the milk teeth are still developing inside the jaws.

Whether this model shows tooth buds, how old an infant it represents and its scale are not given in the listing. It pairs well with the fetal skull model, which shows the head at birth, so students can compare the two stages side by side.

Handling the Infant Skull

• Hold the infant skull model with both hands; its thin vault edges are easily chipped.
• Keep it in a lined box or drawer when not in use.
• Remove dust with a soft brush and do not let water collect in the fontanelle openings.
• Point out features with a probe rather than pressing the thin areas.

Specifications

Teaching Uses

• Paediatric nursing lessons on assessing the fontanelles and measuring head circumference
• Explaining craniosynostosis and positional head flattening to students and parents
• Dental anatomy classes on the development of milk teeth in the jaws
• Growth and development topics in biology and anthropology courses

Why Choose LabEquip

Paediatric nursing programmes, midwifery schools and dental colleges buy infant skulls to teach growth after birth, a stage adult skull models cannot show. LabEquip lists this model in Biology Lab Products; send your questions on age and scale through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the fontanelles of an infant close?

The posterior fontanelle usually closes within the first two to three months after birth. The anterior fontanelle normally closes later, commonly between about one and two years of age.

Why do nurses check the anterior fontanelle?

It is an easy window on the baby’s condition. A sunken fontanelle can suggest dehydration, while a tense or bulging one can suggest raised pressure inside the skull, both of which need prompt medical review.

What is craniosynostosis?

It is the early fusion of one or more skull sutures. Growth across the fused suture stops, so the skull grows in other directions and develops an abnormal shape; some cases need surgery.

Why is the face so small in an infant skull?

At birth the cranium is large to hold the fast-growing brain, while the jaws, sinuses and teeth are still undeveloped. The face grows more in childhood as teeth erupt and the sinuses expand.

Does an infant skull have teeth?

Milk teeth begin forming inside the jaws before birth and usually start to erupt at around six months. A young infant’s skull therefore has no teeth showing, although tooth buds lie within the bone.

What age does the model represent?

The listing says only ‘Infant’, which covers the first year of life. The exact age and whether tooth buds are shown are not stated, so confirm them when you enquire.

Last Updated: September 2026