Craniofacial Classification of Normal Newborns in Maiduguri Metropolis, Nigeria Clasificación Craneafacial de los Recién Nacidos Normales en Maiduguri, Nigeria

Anthropometric measurements, such as craniofacial forms especially in the first days after birth are important for the assessment of neonatal health status and results obtained from such measurements are used in pediatrics, orofacial surgery and diagnostic comprehension between patient and normal populations. There is no published literature about the types of head and face shapes in the Kanuri and Babur/Bura newborns of Maiduguri metropolis. Hence, this study was undertaken to document the various craniofacial forms of newborns of Maiduguri metropolis. Head length, head width, head circumference, face length, face width, prosopic and cephalic indices were measured in 120 newborns of the Maiduguri metropolis. The mean cephalic index in Kanuri male and female newborns were 70.03% and 77.15% respectively while that of the Babur/Bura males and females newborns were 73.60% and 77.23%, respectively. The mean prosopic index in Kanuri male and female newborns were 83.77% and 82.84%, respectively, while that of the Babur/Bura males and females newborns were 80.74% and 81.03%, respectively. On comparison with existing literature the Kanuri males and females are dolicocephalic, Babur/Bura males and females are mesocephalic, while both the Kanuri and Babur/Bura newborns have the hypereuryprosopic type of face shape thus the data obtained from this study can be used as local standards for diagnostic and anthropometric evaluation.