Children typically have the same number of ribs as adults, which is 24 ribs in total. These are organized into 12 pairs: 7 pairs are considered ‘true ribs,’ as they connect directly to the sternum, while the remaining 5 pairs are known as ‘false ribs,’ with 2 of those being floating ribs that do not connect to the sternum at all.
It’s a common misconception that children have fewer ribs than adults, but this is not the case. The structure of ribs remains consistent throughout childhood development. However, as children grow, the ribs expand and develop alongside their skeletal structure, which eventually reaches adult proportions. Hence, when discussing human anatomy, it’s important to understand that the rib count remains the same from childhood to adulthood.