Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Premature closure of fontanelles

HP:0005458

What it means

Normally, the posterior and lateral fontanelles are obliterated by about six months after birth, the anterior fontanelle closes by about the middle of the second year. This term refers to the situation in which the fontanelles close at an inappropriately early time point.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

Very common80–99%

1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Early closure of the bregma sutures · Early closure of the cranial sutures · Early closure of the fontanelles · Obliterated fontanelles · Premature closure of the bregma sutures · Premature closure of the cranial sutures · Premature fontanel closure

Premature closure of fontanelles

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.