Micrognathia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

The face

Overview

Treatment

Micrognathia

Definition:

Micrognathia is a relative term describing the small size of the lower jaw.

Alternative Names:

Under-bite; Receding chin

Considerations:

In true micrognathia, the jaw is small enough to interfere with feeding of the infant. Infants with micrognathia may require special nipples in order to feed adequately.

Micrognathia may be the only abnormality in a child, and is often self-correcting during growth, especially at puberty when the jaw grows significantly. It may also be associated with certain inherited disorders and syndromes.

Micrognathia is one cause of abnormal alignment of the teeth. This can be seen by noticing the closure of the teeth. Often there will not be enough room for the teeth to grow and an orthodontist should be consulted when the adult teeth come in. At times, the child can outgrow micrognathia and it makes sense to wait until they are older.

Common Causes:

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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