Sizes of dental arches in children with the Pierre Robin syndrome and isolated cleft palate aged from 0.2 to six years.

Development of the dental arches and length and weight at birth were studied from 0.2 to 6 years of age in 78 children with Pierre Robin syndrome and 58 with isolated cleft palate. The growth of the maxillary dental arches was similar in both groups before palatal closure. The anterior width of the maxillary arch did not differ between the groups during the six year follow up period, but the depths of the maxillary and mandibular arches were significantly less (< 0.001) in the group with Pierre Robin syndrome compared with those with isolated cleft palates at the age of 3 and 6 years. The mandibular width at the first and second deciduous molars in the group with Pierre Robin syndrome was also significantly smaller (< 0.01) than in the other group at the age of 6 years. The weight and length at birth were similar in both groups, and they were slightly lower than among the normal Finnish population.