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[Differential physical growth during the 1st year of life. II. Growth of the head]
A Rosales-López1, A Martínez-Meza, G Sánchez-Aguilar
1Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Consejo Nacional de la Cultura, México, D.F.
Insights
This study presents head growth standards for infants aged 0-1 year, detailing 18 key craniofacial measurements. Findings highlight growth patterns and sexual dimorphism in early childhood development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Growth and Development
- Craniofacial Biology
- Anthropometry
Background:
- The head exhibits significant growth velocity before and after birth, representing a major portion of infant stature.
- Craniofacial structure development is complex, with brain growth influencing overall morphology and facial bones exhibiting mixed growth patterns.
- Establishing growth standards for head and craniofacial structures is crucial due to their unique developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the results of a longitudinal study on head growth in infants.
- To establish normative growth data for various head and craniofacial measurements in the first year of life.
- To analyze final growth increments and identify sexual dimorphism in infant head development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal research design involving 200 children (both sexes) from birth to 1 year of extrauterine life.
- Collection of 18 specific head and craniofacial measurements, including circumference, lengths, widths, and facial dimensions.
- Statistical analysis of growth data to determine increments and compare male and female development.
Main Results:
- Detailed normative data for 18 head and craniofacial measurements were established for infants aged 0-1 year.
- Significant variations in growth velocity and patterns were observed across different craniofacial structures.
- Analysis revealed differences in growth patterns and final increments between sexes, indicating sexual dimorphism.
Conclusions:
- The study provides essential growth standards for infant head and craniofacial development.
- Understanding these specific growth gradients is vital for clinical assessment and monitoring of pediatric head morphology.
- The identified sexual dimorphism warrants consideration in the interpretation of craniofacial measurements during infancy.
Abstract:
The corporal segment that display the major growth velocity before and after born is the head; that is, once a baby is born, it represents the fourth part of the stature, it has the greater corporal circumference, and their development is superior than other corporal segments. However, the growth shape of the craniofacial structures is different; so, the growth gradient of brain, is the responsible of the morphological view described previously; the facial structures follow the general growth curve; moreover, the facial bone that contributes with the growth of brain, describes mixed growth gradients. This complex shape of the head growth, requires the existence of growth standards for these structures. The present paper describes the results of longitudinal research on head growth. We studied 200 children of both sex and ages from 0 to 1 year of extrauterine life. We got 18 growth measures of the head, such as: head circumference, head length and width, minimum frontal diameter; head, total facial, upper facial, and nose height; bizygomatic, bigonial, external bipalpebral, internal bipalpebral and nose widths; length and width of lips and ear. Moreover, we report the final increments and the differences on sexual dimorphism.