title: Penile length and anogenital distance in male newborns from different Iranian ethnicities in golestan province.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anogenital distance (AGD) is a feasible and accepted parameter of exogenous or endogenous androgens effects on development of reproductive system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Since there is no report on penile length (PL) and AGD in our region, we investigated these parameters in male newborns in Golestan Province, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we measured stretched PL and AGD in term newborns from different races in Dezyani Gynecologic Hospital of Gorgan, Iran. We also recorded the anthropometric parameters and maternal age. The data was analyzed using the SPSS 14.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Means of PL and AGD of 427 healthy term newborns were 32.1 ± 3.5 and 24.5 ± 2.5 mm, respectively. There was a positive correlation between PL and AGD (r = 0.097, P = 0.046). According to their ethnicity, there were 166 Fars (38.9%), 129 Turkmen (30.2%), and 132 Sistani (30.9%) infants with mean PL of respectively 31.8 ± 3.9, 32.3 ± 3.3, and 32.4 ± 3.3 mm and mean AGD of respectively 25 ± 2.5, 24.3 ± 2.5, and 24 ± 2.5 mm. One Fars neonate (0.23%) had micropenis (PL = 21.3 mm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using -2.5 standard deviations as the cutoff for micropenis, a newborn infant in Golestan Province with a PL of < 23.3 mm had micropenis; however, more investigations are needed to clarify this issue.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Children's Health Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gharib
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Children's Health Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fouladinejad
keywords: Anthropometry; Ethnic Groups; Iran; Male