Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
03:35

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

545

Effect of birth weight and nutritional status on transverse maxillary growth: Implications for maternal and infant

Laura Jackeline Garcia Rincon1, Gizelton Pereira Alencar2, Marly Augusto Cardoso3

  • 1Department of Politics, Management and Health, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Plos One
|January 31, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Birth weight, sex, and nutritional status significantly impact children's transverse maxillary growth. Early interventions supporting adequate birth weight and nutrition are crucial for healthy jaw development and preventing malocclusion.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Public Health
  • Human Growth and Development

Background:

  • Transverse maxillary growth is crucial for dental arch development and overall facial structure.
  • Factors such as birth weight and nutritional status may influence craniofacial development.
  • Understanding these associations can inform early public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the association between birth weight, nutritional status, and transverse maxillary growth in schoolchildren.
  • To investigate the influence of sex, birth weight, bottle-feeding patterns, and Body Mass Index-for-age z-score (BAZ) on maxillary growth.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional survey of 158 schoolchildren aged 7-9 years in the Western Brazilian Amazon.
  • Transverse maxillary growth measured by upper intermolar distance (mm).
  • Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with path analysis used to assess direct, indirect, and total effects of exposures.

Main Results:

  • Significant direct positive effects on transverse maxillary growth were found for sex (SC = 0.203), birth weight (SC = 0.155), and BAZ (SC = 0.165).
  • Sex demonstrated significant indirect (SC = 0.057) and total (SC = 0.261) effects.
  • Birth weight showed a significant total effect (SC = 0.174) on transverse maxillary growth.

Conclusions:

  • Sex, birth weight, age of bottle introduction, and BAZ are associated with transverse maxillary bone growth.
  • Policies promoting adequate birth weight, prenatal care, and full-term birth can positively influence maxillary development.
  • Children with low birth weight, inadequate breastfeeding, or nutritional deficits may be at higher risk for jaw atrophy and malocclusion.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

689
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

27.6K

Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.0K
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.8K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
426
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
797
Anatomy of the Intestines01:23

Anatomy of the Intestines

Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
86.4K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
186