title: Craniofacial morphology in prematurely born children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the craniofacial morphology of prematurely born children and that of matched full-term born controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  White children 8 to 10 years of age, born at the University Hospitals of Lund and Malmö and living in the same part of Sweden, were included. One group consisted of 36 very preterm children, born during gestational weeks 29 to 32; the other group included 36 extremely preterm children, who were born before the 29th gestational week. Subjects were compared with a control group of 31 full-term children, who were matched for gender, age, nationality, and living area. One lateral head radiograph was taken for each child, and the cephalometric analysis included 15 angular and 11 linear variables. Also, the height, weight, and head circumference of each child were registered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significantly shorter anterior cranial base and a less convex skeletal profile were found among extremely preterm children, and significantly shorter maxillary length was noted in both extremely preterm and very preterm groups as compared with full-term children. The lower incisors were significantly more retroclined and retruded in the extremely preterm group compared with the very preterm group and the full-term control group. Extremely preterm children were significantly shorter, and both extremely preterm and very preterm children had significantly lower weight and smaller head circumference compared with full-term children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The null hypothesis was rejected because several craniofacial parameters differed significantly between preterm and full-term born control children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Malmo University, Malmo, Sweden. liselotte.paulsson@mah.se
authors.forename: Liselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paulsson
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bondemark
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013548:Sweden; D047929:Term Birth; D044465:White People