Babies are born with around 270 to 300 bones at birth, which is more than adults who have 206 bones. Over time, some of a babys bones fuse together, so that by the time they are in their 20s, they will have 206 bones. Some of the bones that babies are born without include:

• Kneecaps: Babies are born without kneecaps, or the patella bone. The kneecap starts out as cartilage and starts significantly hardening into bone between the ages of 2 and 6 years old.

• Occipital bone: In rare cases, babies can be born without the occipital bone, which is located at the back of the skull54337-8/fulltext).

Babies are born with spaces between the bones in their skulls, which allows the bones to move, close up, and even overlap as the baby goes through the birth canal. This is beneficial for the baby to fit through the birth canal and allows for growth once they arrive.