why do new born infants have some 300 plus bones while asthe adults have only206 bones?

Answer 1

The bones havent had a chance to fuse together which is why they have a soft spot on there heads for up to two years sometimes. If they were bone fully fused especially the head bones it would make it near impossible to deliver a baby since when coming down the birth canal it allows there heads to pass through it which is why babies born during a VB (vaginal birth ) often come out with a slight pointy or cone shaped head. The bones in the hands also fuse together later on.

Answer 2

It's more complicated than that. Infants have many more bones than adults do because they are still growing. A bone does not grow at the ends; that would be very awkward at the joints. Instead, a long bone (like the femur or humerus) grows at the epiphysis - a growth plate located on each side NEAR the end. Once an adolescent has completed growth, the cartilage anlagen hardens and the bone becomes 1 piece.

In the skull, the "soft spot" DOES allow for easier birth passage; however, the bones of the skull must continue to allow for brain growth throughout a child's development. If they fuse too early, the brain can not expand.

Forensic anthropologists can determine the age at death of a child/adolescent by examining the growth plates of the bones. Different bones fuse at different times.

Answer 3

The reason that infants have more bones is so they are more flexible for the birth. The skull, in particular, needs to be able to be squeeze through a rather small opening. The stress from the birth would also cause other bones to break if they were already fused, as in adults. As the infants get older, the requirement is for bone strength, more than flexibility (it would be difficult to maintain balance and muscle tone with flexible bones), so the bones fuse.

Hope this helps

Answer 4

A new born fas some bones, especially in the head, that will fuse and harden as it grows. if you notice, a new borns head is much softer feeling and some even look they have dents in the crown area. This is where the bones have not fused or grown together. This is another reason why babies are so limber,

Answer 5

Because the bones of a new born are not developed. For example, the skull of a new born is divided into 3 or 4 different parts, hence the soft spot.
As we grow older are bones develop more and become one, such as our skulls.

Answer 6

A new born has bones not yet fused together so they may have bones in the skull but the skull fuses into one bone after that.Each unfused bon is counted separately.

Answer 7

this is because bones fuse as we grow older particularly in the skull and spine

Answer 8

well i know adults have 206 because the bones from birth join together

Answer 9

because they fuse together