Patterns of Orbitofacial and Orbital Growth at Prenatal Stage Derived from Fetal Autopsy Studies

Objective: Fetal orbitofacial and orbital measurements may be helpful in early prenatal diagnosis of craniofacial malformation. Most of the earlier studies are ultrasound based and there are only a few studies based on fetal autopsies. Comprehensive analysis of various parameters can provide useful database for easy reference. Methods: In fifty normal fetuses of different gestational ages, the following parameters were measured: outer and inner canthal distances, palpebral fissure length, oropalpebral length, depth and width of orbit and inter orbital distance. Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant positive correlation of all these parameters with gestational age and biparietal diameter. The growth patterns of the orbitofacial and orbital measurements also demonstrated significant correlation between these parameters. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the lateral parts of the face and the vertical facial length grow at a faster rate than the median part of the face. Deviations from the normative data generated for the orbitofacial and orbital parameters will help in early detection of specific genetic syndromes.