Human Anatomy - Kotsan I. Ya. 2009

Brain
Age-related features of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord

The dura mater of the newborn is thin and tightly fused with the cranial bones. Its dural folds are poorly developed. The Dural Venous Sinuses of the Brain AND SPINAL cord are thin-walled and relatively wide. In a newborn, the superior sagittal sinus is 18–20 cm long and has a somewhat different projection compared to adults. A greater Asymmetry in the size of the sinuses is also observed than in adults. After the age of 10, the Structure and Topography of the sinuses are identical to those of adults.

The arachnoid and pia maters of the brain and Spinal Cord in newborns are thin and delicate. The subarachnoid space is relatively large, with a capacity of about 20 cm3, and then increases quite rapidly: reaching up to 30 cm3 by the end of the 1st year of life, 40–60 cm3 by 5 years of age, 100–140 cm3 in 8-year-old children, and 100–200 cm3 in adults. The cerebellomedullary, interpeduncular, and other cisterns at the Base of the brain are quite large in newborns.



Last update: 08/08/2026

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