Mineral deficiency in the pathogenesis of enamel hypoplasia in prematurely born, very low birthweight children

Although it is well known that enamel hypoplasia commonly is observed in prematurely born, very low birthweight (VLBW) children, its pathogenesis is not understood clearly. One likely mechanism may be related to mineral deficiency, which may be diagnosed as radiological demineralization of the long...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPediatric dentistry Vol. 11; no. 4; p. 297
Main Authors Seow, W K, Masel, J P, Weir, C, Tudehope, D I
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.1989
Subjects
Bone and Bones - diagnostic imaging
Bone and Bones - physiopathology
Calcium - deficiency
Child, Preschool
Dental Enamel Hypoplasia - etiology
Humans
Infant
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature, Diseases
Radiography
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Summary:Although it is well known that enamel hypoplasia commonly is observed in prematurely born, very low birthweight (VLBW) children, its pathogenesis is not understood clearly. One likely mechanism may be related to mineral deficiency, which may be diagnosed as radiological demineralization of the long bones. In this study, we compared the cortical area of the humerus as measured from neonatal radiographs in 31 VLBW children with enamel hypoplasia and 14 VLBW children without enamel hypoplasia. The results showed that children with enamel hypoplasia had a lower mean cortical area of 10.1 +/- 1.9 mm2 compared with 13.9 +/- 1.4 mm2 in children without enamel hypoplasia (P less than 0.001). It was also found that intubated children with a lower cortical mass may be more predisposed to develop localized enamel hypoplasia caused by the laryngoscope (P less than 0.001).
ISSN:0164-1263