Babies Are Born With About 300 Bones, but Adults Have 206
A baby is born with about 300 bones, many of which fuse together as the child grows to form the 206 bones that adults have.
About 300. Many of a baby's bones grow together over time, leaving the 206 bones of an adult, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
Explanation
People do not keep the same number of bones for life. A teaching resource from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health, states that a baby is born with about 300 bones. Many of them eventually fuse, meaning they grow together, to form the 206 bones that adults have. The explanation for the difference is in that word fuse. Bones are not lost along the way. Instead, pieces that start out separate join up, so that what was counted as several bones in a baby is counted as one in an adult. The figure for babies is given as about 300, an approximate number, while the adult figure of 206 is exact.
Source and verification
- Source
- National Institutes of Health (NIAMS) Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry