Related Experiment Videos
Fetal mustache in early pregnancy
M Bronshtein1, E Z Zimmer, H Offir
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence in an unselected population of a rod-like structure on the fetal upper lip (called a 'mustache') which we had previously observed as an incidental finding. A secondary aim was to determine whether this was associated with any abnormalities or abnormal outcomes.
Design:
Prospective non-randomized study.
Subjects:
Three thousand consecutive fetuses from an unselected population were scanned by one sonologist.
Method:
Transvaginal ultrasound examinations were performed at 14-16 weeks' gestation. Repeat sonographic examinations were performed at 20-22 weeks' gestation in cases where a mustache was detected, and these neonates were examined by a pediatrician after delivery.
Results:
Seven of 3000 fetuses had a mustache-like structure on the upper lip. The 'mustache' disappeared later in gestation. No anomaly of the upper lip was detected after birth in these fetuses.
Conclusion:
A mustache-like structure on the fetal upper lip in early pregnancy probably represents a normal variant of lip development. It is likely to represent a delay in the normal process of lip fusion during embryonic life.