Physical Paramenters in Newborn Japanese Infants, Term and Preterm

To define standards for physical measurements in Japanese newbones, 20 paramenters of the face, trunk, upper limb, hand, lower limb, and foot in 155 term and preterm Japanese infants (gestational ages from 33 to 41 weeks) were examined. The results were presented in graphic form with the mean values and ±2S.D. for each gestational week, and the values obtained were compared with those in Caucasian newborn infants, the letter collected from the literature. Several differences of physical paramenters, namely, inner and outer canthal lengths, palm and middle finger lengths, and sternal and torso lengths, were noted between Japanese and Caucasian newborn infants. The mean values (±2S.D.) of these physical paramenters in full-term newborn Japanese infants of both sexes combined were as follows: inner canthal distance 2.4 cm (2.0-2.7cm), outer canthal distace 5.5 cm (4.9-6.1cm), palm length 3.6 cm (3.1-4.1cm), middle finger lengths 2.7cm (2.3-3.0cm), sternal length 7.0cm (6.7-9.2cm) and torso length 17.9cm (15.0-20.8cm). This study proved the significance of setting normal values for Japanese newborn infants, so that the definition of dysmorphic features in Japanese newborn infants should in future be based on nomal values for their own physical pparamenters.

Physical paramenters

Anthropometric measurements

Preterm infants

Japanese