Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 158-161, August 2009

Determination of the Normal Position of the Anus in Taiwanese Infants

  • Wai-Tao Chan

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Hung-Chang Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. No. 92, Section 2, Chung Shan North Road, Taipei City, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wei-Na Wang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Zhong Xing branch, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chun-Yan Yeung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Cheun-Bin Jiang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 30 September 2008; received in revised form 1 December 2008; accepted 25 December 2008.

Article Outline

Background

Anterior displacement of the anus has been reported to be a cause of chronic constipation amongst young children. However, the normal position of the anus has not been studied in Taiwan.

Patients and Methods

Normal anal positioning was studied in 200 neonates (100 males and 100 females). All of these individuals were non-constipated. The position of the anus was numerically defined by the anal position index (API), which is the distance from the center of the anus to the vagina or scrotum divided by the distance between the vagina or scrotum and the coccyx. Thirty non-constipated infants aged between 5 and 19 months (15 males and 15 females) were included in the study to compare the index between neonates and older infants.

Results

The API values were 0.54±0.03 (95% CI, 0.48–0.60) for newborn males and 0.40±0.04 (95% CI, 0.32–0.47) for newborn females, 0.53±0.02 (95% CI, 0.49–0.57) for young boys and 0.39±0.06 (95% CI, 0.28–0.51) for young girls. The difference in indices between males and females was significant, but there was no significant difference in the indices between newborns and older infants.

Conclusions

The API is independent of age, and provides a constant and reliable parameter for determining the position of the anus.

Key Words:  anal position index , anus , constipation

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References 

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PII: S1875-9572(09)60055-3

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(09)60055-3

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 158-161, August 2009

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