Abstract
The purpose of this review was to evaluate whether preterm birth affects palate morphology. Opened electronic search in PubMed (MEDLINE), Lilacs, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted and a partial search of the gray literature using Google Scholar, Open Gray and ProQuest. We included studies with infants born prematurely (born up to the 37th week of gestation and weighing less than 2.500 g) and not preterm infants; intubated and not intubated. Two independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction, and bias risk assessment. Selection criteria included observational, retrospective and prospective, randomized or nonrandomized cohort studies and control studies. There was no restriction on publication time and article language. A total of 2344 articles were found after the duplicates were removed, of which 7 met the inclusion criteria and were submitted to a Bias Risk analysis using MASTARI. Scientific evidence was found for altered palate morphology among premature infants, and oral intubation was a contributing factor for such alterations. Based on this review, it is concluded that premature birth changes palate morphology, when prematurity is associated with the use of the orotracheal tube.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, premature birth is one that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, or where the birth weight is less than 2.500 g
2.3 Search strategy the purpose of this systematic review was to answer the PECOS question: "Does preterm birth alter the morphology of the palate?" (Participants: Newborns; Exposure: Premature birth; Comparison / Control: Non-premature births; Outcome / Outcomes: Palate morphology and Intubation; Types of Included Studies: Observational, cohort prospective or retrospective, randomized or non-randomized studies, case-control studies)
The following terms have been adapted for each electronic database: ('premature birth OR "Very pretem infant” OR "Premature Births” OR "Preterm Birth” OR "Preterm Births" OR "Premature Infant” OR "low- birthweight infants” OR “low birth weight" OR “Low-birth weight” OR "Very low birth weight" OR "Very preterm birth" OR "Preterm Infants” OR "Preterm Infant” OR "Premature Infants" OR "Neonatal Prematurity") AND ("palate" OR "palatal" OR "palatal morphology" OR "Palatine Bone" OR "palate, hard" OR "Hard Palates" OR "Hard Palate")
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, premature birth is one that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, or where the birth weight is less than 2.500 g. The incidence of preterm birth varies widely among different populations and is generally correlated with differences in living conditions between developing and developed countries (Avery 1988). Brazil is among the 10 countries with the highest rates and is responsible for 60% of premature births in the world.(World Health Organization 2015). The short-term and long-term effects of preterm birth on a child's physical and psychological growth and development have been a topic of interest. Some studies have indicated that infants with low birth weight present significant delays in many areas of growth and physical and psychological development(Marlow, Roberts et al 1993, Wolke 1998). Especially those with more severe conditions, tend to be lower and with a cephalic perimeter smaller than the total (Stjernqvist and Svenningsen 1999, Stankiewicz, Palko et al 2017)
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