Patterns of physical growth and dental development in Jordanian children and adolescents with thalassemia major.

Dental development and physical growth are of particular interest in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. This study evaluated these variables in patients with thalassemia major (TM). Physical growth was assessed in 54 patients (31 males and 23 females) aged 5.5 to 18.3 years and dental development was analyzed using panoramic radiographs from 39 of the 54 patients. The Demirjian system was used to characterize dental development of the seven left mandibular permanent teeth. Chronologic age (CA) and dental age (DA) were compared using the paired t-test, and the correlation between CA and extent of delay in dental development (DA minus CA) was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Growth retardation (< 10th percentile for height and weight) was present in 75.9% of TM patients. Height less than the third percentile was noted in 41.9% (13/31) of males and 34.8% (8/23) of females. Mean (SD) body mass index was 16.5 ± 2.2 kg/m(2). The extent of growth retardation increased with advancing age. Patient radiographs revealed a delay in dental development in 31 of 39 (79.5%) of participants (mean delay, 1.12 years in males and 0.81 years in females; range, 0.1 to 2.7 years). The mean difference between CA and DA was 0.97 years (P < 0.001). CA was significant correlated with extent of dental developmental delay (r = 0.64, P < 0.01). The results show that, among children and adolescents with TM, the proportions of those who had short stature, were underweight, and had a low growth rate increased with age. In addition, participants had significant delays in dental development.