Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

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Browsing Department of Paediatrics and Child Health by browse.metadata.advisor "Dreyer, W."

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    Fetal alcohol syndrome in the Western Cape : craniofacial and oral manifestations : a case control study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-12) Naidoo, Sudeshi; Dreyer, W.; Viljoen, D.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences . Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) consists of multi-system abnormalities and is caused by the excessive intake of alcohol during pregnancy. The teratogenic effect of alcohol on the human fetus has now been established beyond reasonable doubt and FAS is the most important human teratogenic condition known today. The syndrome, first described by Lemoine in1968 in the French literature and in the English literature by Jones and Smith in 1973, has since been corroborated by numerous animal and human studies. This study has grown out of several epidemiological, prenatal and infant studies in areas of the Western Cape that are currently being undertaken by the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR). Preliminary data from studies in Wellington have confirmed that a significant proportion of school-entry children have FAS. The prevalence ofF AS in this community exceeds that for Down syndrome by a factor of30 times. The frequency ofFAS in high-risk populations of the Western Cape is the highest reported anywhere in the world. With this background, and the paucity of FAS literature related to dentistry, the aim of this study was to determine the craniofacial and oral manifestations ofF AS in a sample of school-going children in the Western Cape. Methodology: This study is a descriptive, case-control, cross-sectional study using a random cluster sampling method. On the day of examination, children were weighed, and their height and head circumference were measured. They then had photographs and radiographs taken, followed by an oral examination. For each child, the following information was recorded on the data capture sheet: date of birth, gender, head circumference, weight and height, enamel opacities, dental fluorosis, plaque index, gingival bleeding index, dentition status, oral mucosal lesions and dentofacial anomalies. Results: The total sample of90 children with diagnosed FAS and 90 controls, were matched for age, gender and social class. There were no significant age differences between the two groups (p=0.3363) and the mean ages were 8.9 and 9.1 for the FAS and control groups respectively. Head circumference (HC) differed significantly between the two groups (p