AbstractIt has often been reported that facial proportions remain constant throughout the fetal period. Such conclusions, however, have been based largely on the erroneous assumption that two dimensions are growing isometrically if one bears a statistically significant linear relation to the the other. In order to test the hypothesis that proportion is independent of time, sagittal histologic sections from 32 human fetuses (12–25 weeks) were analyzed cephalometrically. The linear regression on head length (HL) and the associated coefficient of correlation were calculated for each of a variety of craniofacial measures. In addition, all linear dimensions were transformed so that the size of the anterior cranial base was held constant throughout the series. It was assumed that if shape be constant, all Y‐intercepts should be zero, and angular and transformed linear dimensions should show no statistically significant linear correlation with HL. These three criteria were met uniformly by facial and anterior cranial base dimensions, but not by measurements which involved the posterior cranial base. It is concluded, therefore, that in the sagittal plane the second trimester mandible, midface, and anterior cranial base grow isometrically, while the posterior cranial base becomes relatively smal
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