title: Disproportionate fetal growth and fingerprint patterns.
abstract: Fingerprint whorl patterns are formed during fetal life. In a group of 180 term infants, those with more fingerprint whorls tended to have a small abdominal circumference (P = 0.09) and high ratio of head to abdominal circumference (P = 0.008). These associations were independent of the relation between the whorl counts of the mothers and their infants. We also found an independent correlation between the babies' whorl count and the combination of increasing subscapular (P = 0.03) and decreasing triceps (P = 0.02) skinfold thicknesses of the mothers. Whorl patterns are associated with adult hypertension; maternal nutritional status may influence their common origin during fetal development.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Southampton.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Badger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D009929:Organ Size; D010920:Placenta; D012885:Skinfold Thickness