Dental observations of low birth weight infants.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and location of tooth developmental disorders (mainly enamel hypoplasia and discolored teeth) which are often seen in premature babies. The subjects were 52 infants from two to five years of age with complete deciduous den tition (32 AFD and 20 SFD babies). Enamel hypoplasia was seen in 26.97O and discolored teeth in 1.97O. The incidences showed no significant differences between the AFD and SFD groups.. Incidences were high in babies in the uterus for 30 to 34 weeks and weighing less than 2,100g. on delivery. Enamel hypoplasia was found in both the posterior and anterior areas in 80.0~ and only in the anterior area in 20.07o. Discoloration was distributed throughout the dentition. Hematological findings in subjects with dental abnormalities included low serum Ca values and tu’gh total bilirubin values.