Examining Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Structures in Premature Infants: A Window Into the Womb

Abstract

Background: Very little is known about how the velopharynx and levator veli palatini muscle develop in utero. The purpose of this study was to describe craniofacial, velopharyngeal, and levator veli palatini dimensions in a group of infants born prematurely and imaged before 40 weeks gestation. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study design was utilized to examine the MRI scans of 6 infants less than 40 weeks’ gestation. Imaging was initially completed for medically necessity and pulled from patients’ charts retrospectively for the purpose of this study. Craniofacial, velopharyngeal, and levator veli palatini dimensions were analyzed. Results: All linear measures were consistently shorter across all variable categories. While effective VP ratio was less favorable for speech in infants under 40 weeks’ gestation, angle measures such as LVP angle of origin, NSB angle, SNA angle, and SNB angle were relatively unchanged. Conclusions: Linear craniofacial, VP, and LVP variables tend to be smaller in infants under 40 weeks’ gestation than those reported within the first 6 months of life while angulation is relatively similar. Future research in this area may be relevant to better diagnosis of craniofacial conditions in utero.