Abstract

MEASUREMENTS OF HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE, INTERCANTHAL DISTANCES, CANTHAL INDEX AND CIRCUMFERENCE INTERORBITAL INDEX OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN BAYELSA STATE IN NIGERIA.

Ipigansi U.N., *Oladipo G.S., Alabi A.S. and Uzomba G.C.

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine standard values for head circumference, inner canthal distance, outer canthal distance, canthal index and circumference interorbital index of children and adolescents in the four ethnic groups of Bayelsa state, between the ages of 3-18 years. Measurements was done using a digital venier calliper, non – stretchable measuring tape and a ruler. Subjects were obtained from a randomly selected sample size of eight hundred and one (801) children, four hundred (400) males and four hundred and one (401) females. Mean value and standard deviation of Inner canthal distance (ICD) for males is 2.80±0.24cm while that for females is 2.75±0.32cm. Outer canthal distance (OCD) for males is 9.26±0.73cm while that for females is 9.15±0.68cm. Canthal index (CI) for males is 30.32±1.33cm while that for females is 30.01±1.07cm. Head circumference (HC) for males is 53.24±1.95cm while that for females is 52.42±1.98cm. Circumference interorbital index (CI-I) for males is 5.25±0.33cm while that for females is 5.25±0.53cm at P < 0.05. Statistical analysis using T-test showed that males had significantly higher values than the females in measured parameters (p

Keywords: Head circumference, inner canthal distance, canthal index, circumference interorbital index and Bayelsa state.