Is there a Correlation between the Size of the Fontanelles and the Maternal Profiles? : A cross-sectional Study in Central Sudan

الملخص

Background: Variations in the size of fontanelles are studied in correlation with many variables such as regional location, gestational age, gender and maternal ethnicity.

Objective: This study attempted to shed light on the relationship between maternal and pregnancy profiles with the size of the fontanelles in newborn Sudanese children in the State of Gezira, Central Sudan.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Wad Madani Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, included 400 babies and their mothers. The collected data included maternal personal data and medical histories besides fontanelles measurement. Reports about the fontanelles were taken twelve hours after birth of the newborn. The Popich and Smith methods in which the baby was in calm state and held in upright position were used to measure the fontanelle size. Fontanelles were demarcated by the researcher and the measurement was taken using a plastic tape. T-tests and one-way ANOVA were employed for data analysis.

Results: The anterior fontanelle (AF), and posterior fontanelle (PF) were present and patent in the entire babies with a mean size of AF (2.09±0.49 cm), and PF (1.7±0.34 cm). The PF size displayed variations in association with maternal comorbid diseases and residency compared to AF. There was no statistically significant correlation between fontanelle size and maternal age (P-value 0.73) (P-value 0.06) and parity (P-value 0.94) (P-value0.89), respectively.

Conclusion: size AF and PF among an apparently healthy Sudanese newborn falls within the same global range. Variations were detected in the size of the PF in correlation with maternal residence and maternal comorbidity.