Juvenile facial reconstruction

Introduction

The reconstruction of the face of a child is different from adult facial reconstruction. There are many difficulties associated with juvenile remains, including less accurate sex and ancestry assignment, the more emotive and sensitive nature of an investigation into the death of an unknown child, and the less-defined skeletal details associated with underdeveloped skulls. There also may be advantages associated with juvenile remains, such as increased public awareness, increased media attention and more accurate age estimation. Historically this subject has not been separated from adult facial reconstruction, although the differences between adult and juvenile skulls are significant.

Facial growth

The development of the skull throughout childhood produces extreme changes in facial appearance and these may be so drastic that an infant might become unrecognisable after only a few months (Y’Edynak and Işcan, 1993). There are three principal regions of craniofacial development: the brain and basicranium, the facial and pharyngeal airway, and the oral complex. Each of these regions has its own timetable of development, but all are inseparably linked as an interrelated whole (Enlow and Hans, 1996).