Babies Are Born With 100 More Bones Than Adults; Here’s Why

Why Babies Have More Bones Than Adults: Ever wonder why babies are so soft, flexible and bouncy? A newborn appears fragile and pliable in every way, from their small hands to their unsteady legs. Even more startling is the fact that babies are born with a lot more bones than adults! It may sound odd, but it's true. In fact, as they get older, their body has fewer bones.

But how does that occur? Does a bone vanish? Are they breakable? Or is the body experiencing another issue? Let's examine this intriguing aspect of human development and discover why infants have more than 300 bones at birth and adults only have 206.

Newborn babies have about 300 bones in their bodies. Unlike adults, their bones are soft and mostly made of cartilage, a flexible material. This softness allows easier movement and growth. As babies grow, many of these bones slowly fuse together, resulting in the 206 bones found in a typical adult.

Why Do Babies Have More Bones?

Right after birth, a baby’s body continues to grow and adjust to the outside world. To support this rapid development, nature has designed a flexible and adaptable structure that helps them move easily, pass through birth safely, and grow steadily.

Flexibility during birth: The soft and separated skull bones help them pass through the birth canal.

Ease of movement: Soft joints and flexible bones make crawling, rolling, and learning to walk easier.

Room to grow: Separate bones allow for body parts to expand and grow with age.

 

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What Happens To The Extra Bones?

As a child grows, their body goes through many amazing changes. What starts off as soft and flexible slowly transforms into something stronger and more stable, helping the child sit, stand, and eventually walk, run and explore the world around them.

Fusion begins: Many of the bones gradually fuse (join together).

A perfect example is the skull, which starts as several pieces but fuses into one solid structure in adulthood.

The same happens to bones in the spine, hands, and legs.

By the time a person becomes an adult, the number of bones becomes 206, the standard count in a fully grown human.

Why Does Bone Fusion Matter?

Fused bones give the body strength and support. They help in protecting organs, like the brain and heart. They allow efficient movement for adults, who need more stability and strength than flexibility.

1. Babies Have Around 300 Bones: At birth, babies have nearly 300 bones way more than adults who have 206!

2. Many Bones Are Made of Cartilage: Instead of hard bones, babies have soft cartilage that helps them bend and move easily.

3. Bones Fuse As They Grow: As babies grow, many of their bones slowly join together, reducing the total number.

4. Skull Has Soft Spots (Fontanelles): A baby’s skull has soft gaps to help it pass through the birth canal and allow brain growth.

5. Leg Bones Take Time to Strengthen: The long bones in their legs remain soft and flexible to adapt to crawling and walking.

6. Spine Bones Develop Slowly: The bones in the spine gain strength gradually to support sitting and standing.

7. Hands and Feet Have Many Tiny Bones: A baby's hands and feet are made up of many small bones that grow and shape over time.

8. Bone Growth Happens Rapidly in Early Years: Most bone development happens in the first five years when kids grow the fastest!

 

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The human body is incredibly remarkable. It has extra bones at birth that gradually fuse to form a strong adult skeleton, and it is soft and flexible at birth. This change facilitates the body's transition from being fragile and developing to becoming steady and sustaining. Therefore, keep in mind that there is a lot going on beneath that tiny skin the next time you see a baby waving their arms or kicking their tiny feet!