Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System
Published on: April 19, 2024
Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants -- What do we know? Part 3:
Ariane Hohoff1, Heike Rabe, Ulrike Ehmer
1Poliklinik für Kieferorthopädie, Universitätsklinikum, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany. hohoffa@uni-muenster.de
Insights
Prematurity may affect infant palatal development, but current research methods are inconsistent. Further studies are needed to understand long-term effects and guide early orthodontic care for preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial development
- Neonatal care outcomes
- Pediatric orthodontics
Background:
- Prematurity and neonatal care are suspected risk factors for palatal and orofacial developmental disturbances.
- Existing research on long-term consequences of prematurity is contradictory, necessitating a review of methodologies and outcomes.
- A fundamental analysis of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants is required.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically analyze existing methodologies and confounding factors in studies of palatal development in preterm infants.
- To provide a clear overview of the current evidence regarding the impact of prematurity and neonatal care on palatal morphology.
- To guide future research and clinical practice for preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search using Cochrane search strategies was performed across English, German, and French sources.
- Original data from studies comparing preterm and term infants were recalculated and analyzed.
- Extracted data, including from non-English sources, were presented unfiltered in tables for direct comparison.
Main Results:
- Palatal morphology assessment in infants often relies on non-standardized and inadequate methods, particularly for 3D shape analysis.
- Several confounding factors contributing to palatal and orofacial developmental disturbances were identified.
- Metrically, non-intubated preterm infants show no significant differences in palatal width or height compared to term infants up to three months corrected age.
Conclusions:
- A uniform definition and nomenclature for infant palatal anatomy are needed.
- Current data on the long-term effects of prematurity and oral intubation on palatal morphology are inconsistent.
- Further longitudinal, controlled trials with reliable metrical techniques are essential for understanding palatal development in preterm infants, with early orthodontic and logopedic monitoring recommended.
Background:
It has been hypothesized that prematurity and adjunctive neonatal care is 'a priori' a risk for disturbances of palatal and orofacial development which increases the need for later orthodontic or orthognathic treatment. As results on late consequences of prematurity are consistently contradictory, the necessity exists for a fundamental analysis of existing methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants.
Method:
A search of the literature was conducted based on Cochrane search strategies including sources in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered in tables for comparison (Parts 1 and 2).
Results:
Morphology assessment of the infant palate is subject to non-standardized visual and metrical measurements. Most methodologies are inadequate for measuring a three-dimensional shape. Several confounding factors were identified as causes contributing to disturbances of palatal and orofacial development.
Conclusion:
Taking into account the abovementioned shortcomings, the following conclusions may be drawn for practitioners and prospective investigators of clinical studies. 1) The lack of uniformity in the anatomical nomenclature of the infant's palate underlines the need for a uniform definition. 2) Metrically, non-intubated preterm infants do not exhibit different palatal width or height compared to matched term infants up to the corrected age of three months. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 3) Oral intubation does not invariably alter palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants. 4) The findings on palatal grooving, height, and asymmetry as a consequence of orotracheal intubation up to the age of 11 years are inconsistent. 5) Metrically, the palates of orally intubated infants remain narrower posteriorly, beginning at the second deciduous molar, until the age of 11 years. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 6) There is a definite need for further, especially metrical, longitudinal and controlled trials on palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants with reliable measuring techniques. 7) None of the raised confounding factors for developmental disturbances may be excluded until evident results are presented. Thus, early orthodontic and logopedic control of formerly premature infants is recommended up to the late mixed dentition stage.
