Orofacial anthropometric measures in full-term newborns

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Neonatal Medicine
• Human Anatomy

Background:

• Understanding neonatal anthropometry is crucial for assessing growth and development.
• Sexual dimorphism in human physical characteristics is well-documented, but specific data for newborns in certain regions can be limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare anthropometric measurements and orofacial proportions between male and female healthy term newborns.
• To investigate potential sex-based differences in facial dimensions at birth.
• To provide regional data from Sergipe, Brazil, on neonatal facial characteristics.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive and analytical randomized study involving 46 healthy, full-term newborns (NB).
• Digital calipers were used to measure specific facial landmarks (e.g., glabella-subnasal, subnasal-gnathion).
• Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney and Fisher Exact tests to assess differences and associations.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in midface and lower face heights were observed between sexes.
• Male newborns exhibited greater measurements for midface third height, lower face height, and lip heights.
• No statistically significant differences were found in orofacial proportions between male and female newborns.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms the presence of sexual dimorphism in specific facial anthropometric measurements at birth.
• These findings highlight sex-based variations in neonatal facial structure in the studied Brazilian population.
• The results contribute to the understanding of early human physical development and potential clinical implications.