Eur J Anat, 10 (2): 49-52 (2006)

Estimation of the cranial capacity and brain weight of Iranian female newborns

Golalipour M.J., Hosseinpour K.R.

Department of Anatomy, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran; Dezyani Hospital, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran; Department of Anatomy, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 49175-553, Gorgan, Iran

ABSTRACT Anthropological measurements such as brain weight and cranial capacity are of practical use for the evaluation the health of newborns and also as a basis for the cranium alterations in future years of life. The present research was carried out to determine brain weight and cranial capacity and the effect of the ethnic factor on them in female newborns in northern Iran. In this study, 423 normal female newborns in Turkman (n=211) and Native Fars (n=212) groups were evaluated by classic cephalometry. The means and SD of the cranial capacity in the native Fars and Turkman groups were 438.16 ± 63.5 and 418.84 ± 33.19 milliliters, respectively (p<0.05). The means and SD of brain weight in Fars and Turkman newborns were 453.50 ± 65.72 and 433.50 ± 34.35 grams respectively (p<0.05). The results of this investigation show that the ethnic factor could influence brain weight and cranial capacity in Iranian female newborns.

Keywords: anthropology, anthropometry, article, body weight, brain weight, cephalometry, controlled study, ethnology, female, human, human experiment, Iran, newborn, normal human, skull base