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Dermatoglyphic peculiarities in children with oral clefts
1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, A. B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Deralakatte, Mangalore - 575 018, Karnataka, India.
Insights
Dermatoglyphics, or fingerprint patterns, show differences in children with oral clefts. Increased ulnar loops and altered atd angles suggest developmental instability in these individuals.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Palate and lip development occurs early in gestation.
- Dermal ridges form in relation to volar pads during fetal development.
- Genetic factors influencing development are reflected in dermatoglyphic patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dermatoglyphic pattern differences between children with oral clefts and controls.
- To assess the utility of dermatoglyphics in understanding the genetic causes of oral clefts.
Main Methods:
- Collected dermatoglyphic data from 50 children with oral clefts and 50 normal children using the ink method.
- Compared dermatoglyphic patterns, including ulnar loops and atd angles, between the two groups.
Main Results:
- Oral cleft children exhibited a higher prevalence of ulnar loop patterns on finger distal phalanges.
- An increased atd angle and greater fluctuating asymmetry of the atd angle were observed in children with oral clefts.
- These dermatoglyphic findings indicate a degree of developmental instability in individuals with oral clefts.
Conclusions:
- Dermatoglyphic analysis can reveal developmental instability associated with oral clefts.
- The study highlights the potential of dermatoglyphics in exploring the genetic etiology of oral clefts.
Abstract:
In humans, the development of the primary palate and the lip is completed by the 7th week of intra uterine life and that of secondary palate by 12th week. The dermal ridges develop in relation to the volar pads, which are formed by the 6th week of gestation and reach maximum size between 12th and 13th weeks. This means that the genetic message contained in the genome--normal or abnormal is deciphered during this period and is also reflected by dermatoglyphics. Hence this study was done in order to observe the differences in dermatoglyphic patterns between the children with oral clefts and normal children and to determine the usefulness of dermatoglyphics in studying the genetic etiology of oral clefts. Dermatoglyphic data from 50 oral cleft children and 50 normal children were collected using the ink method and comparison was done between them. In the present study, we found an increase in the ulnar loop patterns on the distal phalanges of the ten fingers, an increase in the atd angle and an increase in the fluctuating asymmetry of the atd angle in the oral cleft children which indicates the degree of developmental instability of the oral cleft individual.
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