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Perinatal vulnerability: its impact on oral and craniofacial hard tissue development

Takehito Ono1

  • 1Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, Ehime, Japan.

Frontiers in Physiology
|May 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Infants born with perinatal vulnerabilities like preterm birth face long-term risks. Oral and craniofacial anomalies may predict these hidden health issues, aiding early diagnosis and improved outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal medicine and developmental biology.

Background:

  • Improved survival for preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA) infants highlights long-term health risks.
  • Perinatal vulnerability is linked to psychiatric, neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the association between perinatal vulnerability and oral/craniofacial developmental complications.
  • To investigate oral and craniofacial anomalies as potential early indicators for latent extracranial sequelae.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on perinatal medicine and developmental outcomes.
  • Analysis of the relationship between perinatal factors and craniofacial development.

Main Results:

  • Perinatal vulnerability increases the risk of oral and craniofacial developmental issues like bone deformities, malocclusion, and tooth malformations.
  • These oral/craniofacial anomalies are often detectable early and may predict later, less apparent health problems.

Conclusions:

  • Oral and craniofacial sequelae, influenced by nutritional status, oxygenation, epigenetics, and mechanical forces, can serve as accessible predictors of long-term complications.
  • Further research into underlying mechanisms is crucial for enhancing diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic strategies for vulnerable infants.

Keywords:
developmentlow birth weight (LBW)oral and craniofacial deformitypreterm birthsmall for gestational age (SGA)

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