Anthropometry of soft-tissue orbits in Bulgarian newborns: Norms for intercanthal and biocular widths and length of palpebral fissures in 100 boys and 100 girls

Objective: To establish early postnatal norms for the main measurements of the soft-tissue orbits for the Slavic Bulgarian population (9 million), we measured intercanthal (en-en) and biocular width lex-ex) and length of the palpebral fissures (ex-en) in a representative sample of newborns less than six days old. Method: Eye measurements were taken with a sliding caliper from randomly ch osen subjects by the senior author using standard anthropometric methods. F indings were compared to those published for other Caucasian ethnic groups of infants (Germans and two groups of North American Caucasians), Results: The mean values of all three soft orbital measurements were greate r in newborn Bulgarian boys than girls. Measurements of Bulgarian intercant hal width (en-en) were greater in both sexes but those of biocular width le x-ex) and palpebral fissure length (ex-en) were less than those that have b een reported for North American Caucasian infants. Bulgarian intercanthal a nd biocular measurements were wider than German babies in both sexes. Diffe rences, although small, were statistically highly significant but greatly i nfluenced by differing sample sizes and subject age among the four Caucasia n populations, Conclusion: Anthropometric differences between ethnic groups of Caucasians already exist shortly after birth. Knowledge of the soft orbital data in ea rly stages of the postnatal development in healthy populations is essential for determination in individuals of deviations from normal data. These Bul garian norms can be helpful in anthropometric studies of the ethnically mix ed Caucasian populations of North America.