Abstract
Recognition of abnormal facies at birth is generally based on qualitative assessment. This study was undertaken to establish quantitative values for mouth size at birth. The distance between the angles of the mouth was measured in 79 male and 75 female randomly selected black infants who were two or three days old. Measurements were made with a ruler only in relaxed babies; if mouth mobility or rooting occurred, the measurement was differed. Head circumference and gestational age (Dubowitz method) were also determined. Values for 120 appropriately grown (AGA) infants are shown below. There were no sex differences.
Fourteen small (SGA) and 12 large (LGA) for gestational age infants not included above were also studied. The results show an increasing mouth size with maturation. Significant correlation was found between mouth size and head circumference in all infants, AGA, SGA, and LGA. For the same gestation, SGA and LGA infants with smaller and larger head circumferences resp., also had smaller and larger mouths compared to the AGA. In addition to providing values for mouth size at birth, this study shows too that fetal head growth retardation and acceleration also affect mouth size.
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Fomufod, A., Rao, M. & Jenkins, M. 1303 MEASUREMENT OF THE FACIES 1: MOUTH SIZE IN NEWBORN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 660 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01332
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01332