{"id":1119,"date":"2014-03-18T10:59:14","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T05:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthool.com\/?p=1119"},"modified":"2022-01-12T13:18:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T07:48:48","slug":"micrognathia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthool.com\/micrognathia\/","title":{"rendered":"Micrognathia"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Micrognathia?<\/h2>\n

Micrognathia is a condition characterized by a very small lower jaw or a lower jaw that is smaller than the rest of the face. The very small size of the mandible is secondary to the abnormalities in the first branchial arch that resulted to the insufficiency or deficiency in the movement of the neural crest cells that generally occur by 4th week of fetal development or gestation.<\/p>\n

Micrognathia commonly occurs in children and usually resolves by the time the child reaches the age of puberty when the mandible grows as the child advances in age. Micrognathia is sometime the only problem found in children born with it although it usually causes a misalignment of the teeth. Severe cases of micrognathia however may lead to a problem with feeding. The smaller size of the lower may result to a difficulty in feeding infant and children while intubation in children and adults with micrognathia may also be difficult particularly when introducing anesthesia or during an emergency situation.<\/p>\n

The mandible or the lower jaw is regarded as the largest and the strongest bone in the face. The function of the mandible is to support or as an attachment for the lower teeth. It is composed of a body or base, rami, alveolar process, condyle and the coronoid process.<\/p>\n

The prognosis or outlook for micrognathia depends on the underlying cause. Micrognathia generally resolves as the child advances in age or by the time the child reaches the age of puberty. The abnormality in the mandible however can be corrected with surgery especially in severe case of micrognathia.<\/p>\n

Micrognathia Symptoms<\/h2>\n

Micrognathia is characterized by an anomaly in the anatomical structure of the lower mandible where the size is abnormally smaller than the rest of the face. The condition is first noticed during infancy and it is usually the mother who gets to notice it first.<\/p>\n

A child with micrognathia is usually difficult to feed as the jaw would only have a small opening that a standard size of the nipple will not fit or pass through the mouth of the child. In newborn infants with micrognathia, a special nipple is required to be able to feed the baby.<\/p>\n

Breathing is another problem that is presented in child with micrognathia. Breathing problems such as dyspnea, apnea and an abnormal rapid breathing can be observed and is due to the effect of the anomaly in the anatomical structure of the lower jaw. The abnormally small size of the lower jaw can result to an obstruction in the airway pattern as the tongue in micrognathia is in retroposition. The tongue is also prevented from growing into an average size as the lower jaw is small enough to allow it. The retroposition and the abnormal size of the tongue both make up the difficulty in breathing as both causes an obstruction in the airway.<\/p>\n

Abnormal teeth alignment is also a presenting symptom of micrognathia. The anomaly in the size of the lower jaw provides not enough space for the teeth to grow properly or there is no enough room for a set of teeth to grow.<\/p>\n

Causes of Micrognathia<\/h2>\n

The incidence of micrognathia is believed to be a part of an inherited disorder or is caused by a genetic mutation.<\/p>\n

The common causes of Micrognathia include the following:<\/p>\n