Evaluation of the sex-determining features of upper and lower extremity morphometric measurements in the newborn

Abstract

Somatometric measurements are frequently used for identity determination in forensic investigations. Especially in the aftermath of mass disasters, the need arises to determine the age and sex of fragmented body remains, requiring data related to extremities. The literature often highlights the limitations of studies concerning sex determination during the prepubertal period. Therefore, our study aims to identify and evaluate morphometric measurements of upper and lower extremities in the neonatal period for sex determination. The study was conducted on 399 newborns (196 females, 203 males; 326 Turkish, 73 Syrian) without any external anomalies or pathologies. Initially, length and width parameters were measured for the upper and lower extremities of the newborns. Subsequently, index values were determined to examine the proportional relationship between the upper and lower extremities. The obtained data were statistically analyzed and compared based on sex and groups. According to the results, all parameter and index values obtained from the upper and lower extremities, except for the leg/thigh length index, showed no statistically significant difference between sexes. The study's neonatal extremity measurements are believed to contribute to fields such as forensic sciences, fetopathology, anatomy, obstetrics, and pediatrics concerning growth, development, and sex determination.