ABSTRACT
Malformations of umbilicus are a feature of many dysmorphic syndromes and the measurement of periumbilical skin length should be considered as the basic step in the description of the umbilical malformations. So, we measured the periumbilical skin length in the 103 normal neonates and obtained the following results. 1) The means (+SD) of the periumbilical skin length were the 11.7mm (+3.0) in the cranial site and the 8.2mm (+2.5) in the caudal site, and the cranial length was 3.5mm longer than the caudal length. 2) No difference was observed between the male and female groups in the periumbilical skin length. 3) Age was the only statistically significant variable associated with the periumbilical skin length and it was observed that the periumbilical skin length decreased according to the advance of age (hour).