Although the skull appears to be 1 large bone, there are actually several major bones that are connected together. The major bones that compose the skull of a newborn include the following: 2 frontal bones 2 parietal bones 1 occipital bone These bony plates cover the brain and are held together by fibrous material called sutures. Sutures allow the bones to move during the birth process. They act like an expansion joint. This allows the bone to enlarge evenly as the brain grows and the skull expands. The result is a symmetrically shaped head. Some sutures extend to the forehead, while others extend to the sides and back of the skull. One suture in the middle of the skull extends from the front of the head to the back.