Anthropometric growth study of auricle of healthy preterm and term newborns

SummaryObjectiveAuricular abnormalities are important for early diagnosis of the birth defects in the prematures and newborns. Auricular antropometric studies in healthy premature and mature population depend on their gestational age are limited and insufficient. The aims of this study were to reveal antropometric growth and dynamics of the auricle in the healthy newborns from the 28th to the 42nd gestation weeks.Materials and methodsA total of 600 newborns were evaluated in 40 groups. Each group comprising 20 preterm or term newborns according to their sexes and gestational weeks. Six surface dimensions were performed directly from the right ears of the subjects: the length from the superaurale to subaurale, the width from the tragus to helix, the width from the tragus to antihelix, the conchal depth, the distance from the helix to mastoid at superaural level and the distance from the helix to mastoid at tragal level. The frequency of the prominent ear deformity and lobule attachment were also noted.ResultsThe results of auricular antropometric measurements of healthy preterm and term newborns in different gestational weeks were to determined. No statistical differences of auricular length were found between male and female infants. The incidence of the prominent ear deformity and attached lobule was 8.16 and 27.4%, respectively.ConclusionsNormal anthropometric features for healthy newborns on the basis of gestational age are very important for the diagnosis of a variety of congenital malformations or syndromes. In this study, antropometric measurements of the auricle in the healthy preterm and term newborns on the basis of gestational age in our region were noted. Similar anthropometric studies in the preterm and term newborns at different geographic and various socioeconomic areas should be performed to constitute normative data in the literature.