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Am J Perinatol 1997; 14(4): 191-194
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-994125
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1997 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Sonographic Imaging of the Fetal Face and the Establishment of Normative Dimensions for Chin Length and Upper Lip Width

Eyal Sivan1 , Linda Chan1 , Angela Mallozzi-Eberle2 , E. Albert Reece1
  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Publication History

Publication Date:
04 March 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Sonographic imaging of the fetal face is important because a number of chromosomal aberrations are associated with facial malformations. Prenatal diagnosis of abnormalities of the fetal chin and lips have been based on subjective assessment. The purpose of the current study was to establish normative dimensions for the objective assessment of the fetal face. A cross-sectional study was performed in 200 normal healthy singleton pregnancies between 16 and 38 weeks' gestation. Inclusion criteria included performance of a first or early second-trimester scan to confirm gestational age (GA). Exclusion criteria included birth weight < 10th or > 90th percentile for GA, and medical complications of pregnancy. Ultrasound measurements were made in the mid-sagittal plane and included chin length (CL) and upper lip width (ULW). A first-degree linear growth function was observed throughout pregnancy between GA and ULW (r = 0.87) and CL (r = 0.91). All measured data are expressed as mean ±2 SD. In conclusion, these results provide normative dimensions throughout gestation for the fetal upper lip and chin. These data are expected to serve as a basis for the objective assessment of the fetal face in high-risk conditions.

Keywords

Ultrasound - face nomogram - upper lip - chin length

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