28

J Anat. Soc. India 52(1) 28-31 (2003)

The Shapes Of Head And Face In Normal Male Newborns In South-

East Of Caspian Sea (Iran-Gorgan)
*Golalipour, M.J. * Haidari, K. * Jahanshahi, M. **Farahani, R.M.
*Department of Anatomy, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan. IRAN.

**Department of Anatomy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. (IRAN)

Abstract. Anthropometric dimensions are basis for evaluation of health of newborns. This study is conducted in view of the
importance of anthropometric indices of head and face in forensic medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and medical imaging.
This descriptive and cross-sectional study is undertaken on 420 normal one- day old newborns to determine range of their head and face
dimensions in Fars and Turkman races (Turkman group : n = 217, Fars group : n = 203). Means and SD of cephalic and prosopic indices
in Fars group were 77.97 + 5.347, 72.95 + 11.21 and in Turkman group were 77.00 + 5.21, 80.93 + 9.73 respectively. Dominant and rare
types of head in Fars group were mesocephalic. (36.5%) and hyperbrachycephalic (8.9%) and in Turkman group were mesocephalic
(38.2%) and hyperbrachycephalic (7.4%) respectively. Dominant and rare types of faces in Fars group were hypereuriprosopic (71.9%) and
hyperleptoprosopic (2.5%) and in Turkman group were hypereuriprosopic (34.6%) and hyperleptoprosopic (0.9%) respectively.
This study determines the possible effects of racial factor on the diversity of face shape in normal male newborns.
Key words : Craniofacial forms, Caphalometry, Cephalic index, Prosopic index, Race, Male.

Introduction : circumference of head in this area (Golalipour et al,

The evaluation and measurement of human
body dimensions are achieved by physical
anthropometry (Chamella, 1997; Williams et al,
1995), The human body dimensions are affected by
ecological, biological, geographical, racial, gender
and age factors (Mibodi & Frahani, 1996; Okupe et
al, 1984; Toil et al, 1995).
On the basis of above factors, anthropometric
studies are conducted on the age, sex and racial
groups in certain geographical zones (Williams et al,
1995; Afak and Turgut, 1998). On the other hand,
dimensions of newborns body can be basis for all
changes in anthropometric indices. Therefore, these
dimensions are important in this field, because this
is one of the newborns health evaluation indices
(Golalipour et al, 2000; Azizi, 1993; Afak and Turgut,
1998). Cephalometry is one of the important parts of
anthropometry in which dimensions of head and
face are measured. Cephalometric results are used
in pediatrics, forensic medicine, plastic surgery, oral
surgery and diagnostic comprehension between pa-
tient and normal populations (Williams et al, 1995).
Although, anthropometric studies of newborns,
other age groups, and its relationship between
health and disease have been performed but there
is a scope for research in various geographical and
racial groups. Inspite of determination of some
anthropometric features such as weight, height and
2000) study on cephalometry has not been carried
out. The present study was planned for determining
normal range of head and face shapes in normal
male newborns in native Fars and Turkman races.
Material and Method :
This study was done on 420 normal male new-
borns (Fars group n = 203; Turkman group, n =
217).
Turkman group : Turkmans population are liv-
ing for more than two centuries in this area, who
imigrated from central Asia. Turkman people are
only marrying in intra-group because of religious
and ethnic beliefs. Thus, they are nearly pure race.
Native Fars group : populations of native Fars
have been selected from amongst last three genera-
tions who lived in this zone.
All newborns were evaluated in 12-24 hours
after birth. Head circumference of newborns were
determined by tapes meter without elasticity (+ 1
mm <n). Other measurements, which were deter-
mined by Martin spreading caliper, were included :
Head length = Summit of glabella to
farthest occipital point.
Head width = greatest breadth, at right
angles to median plane.

J. Anat. Soc. India 52(1) 28-31 (2003)

Golalipour, M.J. et al 29

Face length = nasion -gnathion height. The data for each newborn was recorded in a
special form and then analyzed by EP16. For deter-
Face width = bizygomatic breadth. mining morphological indices in racial group we
used Chi square test and for comparison of the
Auricular height = Vertical distance means of anthropometric measurements T student
between vertex to external acoustic test (a = 0.05) was used.
meatus.

Head Width Results :

Caphalic Index =
100
Head Length
I. Means and SD of head length, width, and
Face Length circumference; length and width of face and
Prosopic Index =
100 auricular height in Turkman and native Fars are
Face Width
depicted in table 1.
Above indices were determined on the basis of
international anatomical descriptions (Williams et al,
II. Indices : Means and SD of cephalic index in
1995). Depending upon these indices the types of
Turkman and Fars groups were 77.00 + 5. 91,
head and face shapes were classified as given by
77,97 + 5.34 respectively. There was no
Williams et al, 1995 and Panero, 1979) :
significant difference between two groups.
Head shape Range of Cephalic Index (CI) (%)
Prosopic indices of two groups were 80.93 +
Dolicocephalic < 74.9 9.73, 72.95 + 11.21 respectively and there was
Mesocephalic 75 79.9 significant difference between two groups
Brachycephalic 80 84.9 (P < 0.00001).

Hyperbrachycephalic 85 89.9 III. Morphological classification of head (Table 2) :

Face Shape Range of Prosopic Index (PI) (%) Head was classified by cephalic index, so that
mesocephalic type with 38.2% was dominant and
Hypereuriprosopic < 79.9
hyperbrachycephalic type with 7.40% was rare in
Euriprosopic 80 84.9 Turkmans male newborns. Dominant and rare types
Mesoprosopic 85 89.9 in native Fars were mesocepahalic (36.5%) and
Leptoprosopic 90 94.9 hyperbrachycephalic (8.9%) respectively (table.2).
Hyperleptoprosopic > 95 There was no significant difference between
dominant and rare types in two racial groups.
Table. 1 : Showing various parameters of head & face in Turkman & Fars male newborns

Turkman Fars male

Different Parameters male newborn newborn p-value
Mean SD Mean SD

Head length 114.424 5.294 114.532 5.857 0.837051

Head width 88.041 6.329 89.197 6.221 0.056681

Face length 54.171 7.454 49.562 7.487 0.000002

Face width 67.120 6.517 68.320 7.139 0.068705

Auricular height 79.336 6.704 81.443 7.371 0.002695

Circumference of head 349.977 14.857 351.064 13.746 0.556133

J. Anat. Soc. India 52(1) 28-31 (2003)

30 Head And Face In Male Newborns

Table.2 Distribution of head shapes in Turkman & Fars male newborns

Turkman Race Fars Race
Head shapes N (Percent) N (Percent) p-value
Dolicocephal 73 (33.6) 58(28.6) 0.3100
Mesocephal 83 (38.1) 74(36.5) 0.7801
Brachycephal 45 (20.7) 53(26.1) 0.2359
Hyperbrachycephal 16(7.4) 18 (8.9) 0.7025
Table. 3 : Distribution of Face shapes in Turkman & Fars male newborns
Turkman Race Fars Race
Face shapes N (percent) N(percent) p-value
Hypereuryprosopic 75(34.6) 146 (71.9) 0.0000
Euryprosopic 53 (2.4) 31 (15.3) 0.0263
Mesoprosopic 62 (28.6) 12 (5.9) 0.0000
Leptoprosopic 25(11.5) 9(4.4) 0.0130
Hyperleptoprosopic 2(0.9) 5(2.5) 0.1981

IV. Morphological classification of the face :
Hypereuriprosopic type (34.60%) and
hyperleptoprosopic type (0.90%) were dominant and
rare types in Turkmans male newborns (table.3) and
also dominant and rare types of faces in Fars male
newborns were hypereuriprosopic (71.9%) and
hyperleptoprosopic (2.5%) respectively (table.3)
Discussion :
In this research cephalic indices were 77.00 +
5.211 and 77.97 + 5.347 in Turkman and Fars races
respectively. The cephalic indices of this study were
lower than Jordaans study in South Africa (80.29 +
0.89) (Jordaan, 1976) and India (88.4 + 1.1)
(Rajlakshmi et al, 2001 ) They resembled to Imamis
study in Quzvin-North-West in IRAN (87.5 + 6.4)
(Mibodi and Frahani, 1996).
Dominant type of head shape in both native
Fars & Turkman group was mesocephalic (36.5% &
38.2% respectively). However, the types of head
shape between two groups were somewhat diverse.
Our results resembled Mibodi and Frahani, 1996
(40% mesocephalic). Dominant type of head didnt
resemble to Jordaans Study (Brachycephalic) in
South Africa (Jordaan, 1976) and India (Tuli et al,
1995) (Dolicocephalic).
In respect to the variation of head shape in
various races and geographical zones, we believe
that hereditory factor primarily affects on the shape
of head, however environment has secondary effect
on it.
It must be remembered that the reaction to a
given environment represents the interaction of the
genotype of the population being studied with the
environment (Jordaan, 1976)
The anthropological studies on basis of racial
changes have determined that the people of Africa,
India, Australia are central part of Europe and north
of America and dolicocephalic type, head shape of
people in pacific Ocean are brachycephalic type and
in middle East, Russia and central parts of Europe
are mesocephlic type and also the most of people in
Atlantic Ocean border were mesocephalic type
(Chamella, 1997).
Head shape is affected by factor of time as
reported by Nakishima (1986) in Japan that head
shape had changed during 30 years.
Prosopic indices in two groups didnt resemble
to Mibodi and Farahani, (1996). The dominant type
J. Anat. Soc. India 52(1) 28-31 (2003)
Golalipour, M.J. et al 31

of face shapes in Fars race was the same as their
study and so was hypereuriprosopic in Turkmans.
However, dominant type of face shape in Turkman
group was hypereuriprosopic (34.6%), but percent-
age of diversity of faces in two groups were different
because of possible effect of racial factor.
The prosopic was lower in children and was
affected by time period (Chamella, 1997). Therefore,
this study determines the possible effect of racial
factor on the diversity of head and face shapes.
10. Rajlakshmi, C.H; Shyamo Singh, M. Bidhumukhi, T. H. and
Chandramani Singh L. (2001) : Cephalic index of foetuses of
manipuri population A Baseline study. Journal of
Anatomical Society of India. 50 (1) : 13-16.
11. Tuli, A,. Choudhry, R., Agarwal, S., Anand, C. and Gary, H.
(1995) : Correlation between craniofacial dimensions and
foetal age. Journal of the Anatomical Society of India. 44(1)
: 1- 12.
12. Williams, P., Bannister, L.H., Berry, M.M., Collins, P. Dyson,
M., Dussak, J.E., and Ferguson, M.W.J : Grays anatomy. In :
Skeletal system. 38th Edn; Churchill Livingston. London, pp :
607-612. (1995).

We suggest that the efforts are necessary for

determining the role of environment, heredity, aging,
and racial factors on the shapes of head and face.

Acknowledgements :
We appreciate the research department of
Golestan University of Medical Sciences and new-
borns ward of Deziani Hospital in Gorgan, Mr M. A
Vakili for statistical analysis, and Mrs. L. Sharifi for
the manuscript typing, and Special thanks to Dr. A.
Rayej.

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