Different race, different face: minor anomalies in Chinese newborn infants.
OBJECTIVE
To define the nature and incidence of minor anomalies in Chinese newborn infants and to evaluate the validity of the hypothesis that infants with three or more minor surface anomalies will also have a major malformation.


METHODS
A total of 3,345 Chinese newborn infants were examined based on a list of 67 items of minor anomalies.


RESULTS
About 44.9% of the newborn infants had at least one minor anomaly that was unrelated to gender, maternal age, or gestational age, but significantly associated with fetal presentation. Breech-presented newborn infants had double the risk of minor anomalies. Simian crease, upward slant and frontal bossing could be considered normal variants for Chinese newborn infants, because the incidence of each was higher than 4%.


CONCLUSIONS
Although some studies have shown that approximately 90% of infants having three or more minor anomalies are associated with a major malformation, we found only a 10.1% predictive value based on this study. Nevertheless, we suggest that infants with three or more minor anomalies be carefully evaluated for the possibility of major malformation in order to provide early management.
Tsai
F J
FJ
Department of Pediatrics, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. fuujen@tcts.seed.net.tw
Tsai
C H
CH
Peng
C T
CT
Wu
J Y
JY
Lien
C H
CH
Wang
T R
TR
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D044466:Asian People; D005145:Face / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007746:Labor Presentation; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan