[Occurrence of preterm and term low birth weight deliveries and presence of the Sydney crease].

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether simian and Sydney creases are associated to preterm delivery or to term low birth weight.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study of 490 live newborns without apparent malformations from the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca (Guadalajara, Mexico). Patients were categorized in three groups: group I: 175 infants with preterm delivery; group II: 140 term low birth weight infants; group III: 175 at term newborns with adequate weight for gestational age. On all groups, perinatal history was registered and palm creases were studied by direct inspection and classified as normal, simian crease (single palmar flexion crease) or Sydney crease (continuation of the proximal palmar crease until the ulnar border of the palm). We used the odds ratio as an association measurement, with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The simian crease frequency did not show significant differences between groups. Sydney crease frequencies on groups I, II and lll were 29.7, 34.2 and 18.2%, respectively (p = 0.0037). Sydney crease presence was associated with near to two-fold frequency to preterm birth (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.11-3.23) and more than double with low birth weight (OR: 2.33, 95% Cl: 1.07-5.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Sydney crease was associated with occurrence of the preterm and term low birth weight deliveries.