Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones
06:58

Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones

Published on: April 26, 2019

The growth of the brain and skull in children

M D Mann

    Brain Research
    |April 1, 1984
    PubMed

    Insights

    This study found no evidence that children's brain growth occurs in spurts. Analysis of brain weight and head circumference data suggests continuous development, not distinct growth phases. Reorganizing school curricula based on spurt theories is not supported by current data.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Neuroscience
    • Developmental Biology
    • Biostatistics

    Background:

    • The concept of brain growth spurts in children is debated.
    • Previous research has explored non-linear patterns in child development.
    • Understanding brain development is crucial for educational strategies.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the hypothesis of 'spurts' in brain growth during childhood.
    • To analyze published data on brain weight and head circumference in children.
    • To determine if growth patterns deviate significantly from continuous development.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized graphical analysis of existing datasets.
    • Applied statistical methods to detect deviations from smooth growth curves.
    • Examined data on brain weight and head circumference.

    Main Results:

    • No convincing evidence for significant growth spurts was found.
    • Observed variations were consistent with normal statistical sampling.
    • Both brain size and head circumference showed continuous growth patterns.

    Conclusions:

    • The theory of distinct brain growth spurts in children lacks empirical support.
    • Current data suggests a continuous model of brain development.
    • Educational curriculum adjustments based on growth spurt theories are premature.

    More Related Videos

    Fabrication of an Expandable Brain Matrix Customizable Across Developmental Stages11:35

    Fabrication of an Expandable Brain Matrix Customizable Across Developmental Stages

    Published on: February 20, 2026

    Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model08:03

    Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

    Published on: November 4, 2025

    Related Concept Videos

    Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification01:29

    Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

    Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
    The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
    Overview of the Skull01:08

    Overview of the Skull

    The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
    The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
    Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

    Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View

    The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
    The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
    Sutures of the Skull01:22

    Sutures of the Skull

    The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
    Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
    Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

    Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

    The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
    Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
    Increased Intracranial Pressure l: Introduction01:14

    Increased Intracranial Pressure l: Introduction

    Intracranial hypertension is a sustained elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) above 22 mm Hg. In supine adults, normal ICP is ~7–15 mm Hg.The rigid, nonexpandable cranium contains three components—brain tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—that total ~1,700 mL in a typical adult: 1,400 mL brain (~80%), 150 mL blood (~10%), and 150 mL CSF (~10%). According to the Monro–Kellie doctrine, total intracranial volume is effectively fixed. When one component expands, CSF and venous blood...