The Developing Period 63 



the feet also tend to point inward. The head 

 is larger than the chest at this time, with a very 

 short neck, and the baby assumes a position of 

 general flexion. 



While infants at birth may vary in size, each 

 individual should develop in proper proportion, 

 the various parts of the body bearing a sym- 

 metrical relationship to one another. Thus 

 the circumference of the head is greater than the 

 circumference of the chest, and remains so up 

 to the middle of the first year, when they begin 

 to approximate in size. At the end of the first 

 year, the chest should expand to a greater cir- 

 cumference than the head. If later than this 

 time the circumference of the head remains 

 greater than that of the chest, it is an indica- 

 tion of faulty development. The sutures of the 

 skull should be ossified by the end of the sixth 

 month, and the opening in the head known as the 

 anterior fontanelle closes from the sixteenth to 

 the eighteenth month. Any deformities of the 

 head due to prolonged pressure and difficult 

 labors are usually overcome during the first few 

 weeks. After birth and with increase in age. 



