Skeletal System - Healthy Bones

¹     There are 206 bones in the adult body. The longest one is the thighbone, or femur, which is as long as 1/4 of your height. The smallest is the stirrup bone in the ear, which is only about 1/10 of an inch long. The bones are connected by 230 joints All of these parts of the skeletal system keep you in good shape, active, and looking good -- as long as you keep them healthy.

²     Keeping bones healthy starts at birth. Babies are born with bones that are soft and flexible. Babies' bones have lots of cartilage, the flexible material that will later harden into bone material. In fact, babies have around 300 bones at first. Later, as the bones harden, some of these will fuse together until the adult number of 206 bones is reached.

³     Babies also have some spaces between the bones of the skull. This makes it easier and safer for the baby to be born, but as the baby grows, these bones will gradually close together. These are some of the reasons why babies must be handled with special care. Babies' bones are not ready for the rough treatment that kids' and teens' bones receive when they run and play. A new baby needs to be handled gently, and his head always needs to be supported, until his bones grow stronger.

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