How many bones is a baby typically born with?

A baby is typically born with around 270 to 300 bones. This number is higher than the adult bone count due to the presence of many small bones that eventually fuse together as the child grows. During infancy, the skeleton is still developing, and certain bones, particularly in the skull and spine, have not yet fused. For example, the sutures in the skull allow for growth and flexibility during birth but will eventually solidify into fewer bones. As the child matures, the number of bones decreases to the standard adult total of 206, as some of the smaller bones merge. Understanding this transition highlights the dynamic nature of the skeletal system in early development.