Upper face morphology of second-trimester fetuses

The characteristics of the ear auricle and the palpebral fissures are prominent aspects of upper face morphology in second-trimester human fetuses. We report on the ear auricle morphology of 106 normal second-trimester abortuses and on the palpebral fissure characteristics of 88 similar abortuses. All the aborted fetuses had detailed autopsy to define normality of external and internal morphology. Our data will permit selection of criteria for defining upper face dysmorphism in second-trimester formalin-preserved human fetuses. Recognition of such dysmorphism at autopsies could provide useful insight into abnormal human development in response to various genetic and environmental factors.