203 J Contemp Med Sci | Vol. 8, No. 3, May-June 2022: 203–206 Original A Descriptive Study of Cephalic and Prosopic Anthropometric Indices in One-day-old Infants in Imam Ali and Kamali Hospital, Karaj Fatemeh Kermanian 1 , Marzieh Tavakol 2 , Nasim Beiranvand 3 , Simin Mahakizadeh 1,* 1 Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. 2 Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. 3 School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. *Correspondence to: Simin Mahakizadeh (Email: s.mahakizadeh@abzums.ac.ir) (Submitted: 03 March 2022 – Revised version received: 21 March 2022 – Accepted: 12 April 2022 – Published online: 26 June 2022) Abstract Objective: There is no published literature about the types of head and face shapes in the Alborz newborns. Therefore, we designed this study to report these important regional data. Methods: Head length, head width, face length, face width, prosopic and cephalic indices were made on 150 newborns (75 males and 75 females) with a view to establish the criterion of cephalometry for this age group in Iran. A special emphasis was given to delivery mode in this study. Results: There was no signifcant diference in cephalic and prosopic indices between two groups (female: P = 0.46; male: P = 0.43). Brachycephalic type was dominant and dolicocephalic type was rare in male and female neonates. There was no signifcant diference in head shape between two groups. Hypereuriprosopic and hyperleptoprosopic were dominant and rare types, respectively, in newborns without signifcant diference between two groups. Conclusion: The head and face indices in the newborn infants born by cesarean section were not signifcantly diferent from vaginal delivery group. However, the role of nutrition and climate could not be ruled out. Keywords: Anthropometry, cephalic index, prosopic index, craniofacial, newborn ISSN 2413-0516 Introduction Anthropometry, defned as the science of measurement and the art of application of physical properties of the human, is one of the most important studies in medicine. 1,2 Cephalom- etry or craniometry means measurement of dimension of skull without sof tissue. Cephalic and craniofacial indexes, espe- cially in the frst days afer birth, are important for the assess- ment of neonatal health status and their fndings are used in diferent branches of medicine. 3 In recent years, craniofacial anthropometry has become an important tool used by clinical geneticists, forensic experts and reconstructive surgeons. 3 In this regard, researchers in various countries and societies have sought to collect craniofacial anthropometric indexes so that they defne and present proportional facial indices of specifc communities and ethic groups. 4,5 Since the evaluation of such indicators refects the development of the brain growth and facial shapes, it has received much attention from researchers and health physicians. 1 Te brain and skull grows at diferent rates and most changes occur from the frst month of birth until the sixth years of age. 3 Based on complex process bone growth in diferent directions, cephalometry can be explained. Head length and width are the most important dimensions of the skull. Cephalometry is carried out utilizing several methods, including photogrammetry, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, and the use of standard lateral skull radiographs or cephalograms. 6,7 Determination of anthropometric measurements and ref- erence ranges of each ethnic group is therefore essential for indicating the degree of deviations from normal. Moreover, background newborn anthropometric data, which could assess deviations from normal, are generally lacking in devel- oping countries. So, the physical measurements of newborn are compared with the standards of other countries. However, relying on these standards brings some limitations related to diferences in genetic, nutritional and environmental factors. 8,9 At present, very limited data are available regarding the refer- ence ranges of head and facial proportions and anthropo- metric measurements of the Persian population in Iran. Tis study aimed to provide data from Karaj to help establish the reference range of craniofacial anthropometric measurements in the newborns Karaj population. Materials and Methods Tis cross sectional study was undertaken from June, 2019 to November, 2019 as a joint efort by the department of Anatomy and Pediatrics, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, karaj, Iran. Te project was approved by the Research Committee in Health Sciences at the Alborz University of Medical Sciences by ethic code; IR.ABZUMS.RES.1398.097. Te ethics com- mittee approved all the ethical considerations of the study. Gestational age estimation was based on the frst day of the last menstrual period. Afer taking written permission from the parents of newborns,the head and face of 150 living newborn [male (C/S or NVD) and female (C/S or NVD)], which 47 of them had born by cesarean section (C/S) and 103 of them had born by normal vaginal delivery (NVD), were considered. All the newborns were healthy with no known genetic diseases or specifc deformity. Infants were weighed in a time interval between 5 to 10 hours following birth, wearing no clothes and diapers, using a scale with accuracy of 100 g. Teir height was also measured using a tape meter with a precision of 0.5 mm while the infants were being placed in the supine position and their knees straightened from heel to head. Ten, head dimen- sions of the infants underwent anthropometric measurement using a standard millimetric caliber (Martin Saler) with the accuracy ± 0.5 mm based on the international reference