Vertical growth of the anterior face and cranium in inner city Negro children

A longitudinal cephalometric study was conducted on the vertical growth of the cranium and anterior face on 60 inner city American Negro children, an equal number of boys and girls from four to nine years. Three vertical measurements were used for the purpose of this study. The head height was measured from sellion to bregma, bony nasal height from nasion to anterior nasal spine, and lower facial height from anterior nasal spine and lower facial height from anterior nasal spine to menton. The data were analyzed at annual ages and observations made relative to the growth trends. The findings of this study were compared with those on Caucasian children. No significant statistical difference was found in the mean head (cranial vault) height between the Negro and Caucasian children. The mean bony nasal height expressed as a percentage of subnasal height was found to be less in the Negro children. The difference decreased with age. The annual increment of growth in head height was greater from four to seven years than from seven to nine years. The findings are considered to imply that severe malnutrition may influence child growth.     

Skeletal age, dental age, and the maturation of KNM-WT 15000

The skeleton of the Homo erectus boy from West Lake Turkana, Kenya (KNM-WT 15000), is remarkably complete, and this individual has thus provided a case study for several researchers examining Homo erectus growth. Using data from a longitudinal study of Montreal French-Canadian children, it is shown that while dental and skeletal ages match reasonably well at the level of a sample of children, individuals can display differences between skeletal and dental ages of 2 years or more. Furthermore, the relationship between these two markers may change over time in individual children. It is also possible to find children with patterns of dental maturation similar to KNM-WT 15000's pattern in the Montreal sample. Therefore, neither the discrepancy between skeletal age and dental age alone nor the pattern of dental maturation as assessed by dental stages precludes a human-like pattern of growth, including an adolescent growth spurt, for this individual. Some indicators (e.g., estimated body size for predicted age, and enamel formation) do suggest possible growth-patterning differences from modern humans, and therefore earlier maturation is a reasonable hypothesis, but caution is warranted, given the large degree of modern human variation in developmental markers and the inherent uncertainty in precise estimation of KNM-WT 15000's maturational parameters.     

Sexual dimorphism in the growth of the cranium

The major sexual dimorphisms in body size appear at puberty but, by then, 95% of the growth of the cranium is completed. As sexual dimorphism in the cranium is as great as for other parts of the body, this suggests that it must appear at an earlier age, and that cranium/body size ratios for the two sexes will vary during growth. Results from a longitudinal study of Montreal children are used to investigate this phenomenon. The effect is expressed quantitatively by proportional growth and growth velocity curves, based on the final size of boys, which show that the dimorphism indeed makes an early appearance. The data are also analyzed on an age scale relative to the ages of peak growth velocity in stature, derived from the individual growth curves. This shows that although there is a minor pubertal spurt in growth for the external cranial dimensions of boys, it contributes relatively little to the final dimorphism in cranial size. To summarize this aspect of growth, an index of cephalization is calculated: head length × head width/stature. Cross-sectional standards for the change of the mean index with age show a linear decline for boys and girls until puberty, with a constant difference between them. After puberty, the index becomes equal in the two sexes. Individual development curves for the index are however not linear.     

Trade-off between height growth and stem diameter growth for an evergreen Oak, Quercus glauca, in a mixed hardwood forest

1. Patterns of stem growth of a mid-successional evergreen Oak species ( Quercus glauca ) in a mixed hardwood forest were examined to explore the trade-off relationship between stem-diameter growth and height growth.
2. The mean cross-sectional area (and the corresponding mean diameter) of a stem at a point in time was defined as the stem volume divided by tree height. Based on this definition, a simple equation representing the trade-off relationship between the height growth and mean diameter growth was formulated.
3. In the long term, allocation to height growth was encouraged at the seedling stage and it gradually declined with time, with the decline in the suppressed seedlings being more pronounced than in the dominant trees.
4. However, both the suppressed and the dominant trees showed acceleration of height growth at various ages. Such a fluctuation in the allocation of biomass to height growth is likely to have been caused by chronological changes in light conditions, and meandered the trajectory of allometry between the height and mean diameter.
5. The observed stem growth patterns of the individual trees could explain the chronological changes in the diameter–height relationship of the population.     

Clinical standards for growth velocity in height of Belgian boys and girls,aged 2 to 18 years

The present paper presents the first clinical standards for growth velocity in height of Belgian boys and girls, based on purely longitudinal data. Growth charts are provided with centiles of height for age, along with the growth velocity curves of the typical early, average and late maturing child in the population. These new growth velocity standards provide centile lines which allow to judge whether a child's growth velocity over a one-year interval lies within the limits of normal variation for his age, irrespective of his stage of maturation. They also provide information about variability in the individual patterns of growth velocity in the population and can, as such, also be used to evaluate the normality of a child's pattern in growth velocity over a longer period of time. Age at peak velocity occured in 95% of the children within an age range of about 4 years. The average age at peak height velocity at puberty was 14.0 years (S.D.=1.0) in boys and 11.6 years (S.D.=0.9) in girls. Peak height velocity was in the average 9.1 cm/year (S.D.=1.4) in boys and 7.5 cm/year (S.D.=1.1) in girls. The representativity of these new standards with respect to the actual Belgian population was tested by comparison with recent cross-sectional data, collected on a large number of subjects. These new charts will find useful applications in longitudinal health screening surveys, and in clinical follow-up studies, where interest lies in the examination of a child's growth retardation in relation to some disease, or catch-up growth, as a response to subsequent medical treatment.     

Mathematical Formulations for the Height/Weight Tables of U.K. Children after Tanner,Whitehouse and Takaishi

Models of human height and weight growth and their interrelations are applied to the height/weight tables for British children given by Tanner, Whitehouse and Takaishi (1966) in two elaborate papers. Approximations using nonlinear regressions yield very satisfying results for height/age and log weight/height relations as well as the velocities of height and weight. Graphs with the basic data and the approximated growth curves are added.     

Growth patterns and final height in congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Results of a multicenter study

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal growth and bone age (BA) development are the most important clinical parameters for monitoring adequate glucocorticoid replacement in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). AIM OF THE STUDY: To analyze the growth pattern of patients treated for CAH of the salt wasting (SW) and simple virilizing (SV) clinical forms; to evaluate final height as compared to reference data and individual target height; to evaluate the course of BA development. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A large database of 598 patients with CAH was created in 5 Central European countries and growth data of 341 treated patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were of Caucasian origin. Centiles were constructed in a cross-sectional manner and an additional longitudinal analysis was performed in order to evaluate the pubertal growth spurt by applying particular statistical methods (Preece-Baines model). RESULTS: The growth of SW CAH patients was impaired in infancy and early childhood (0-3 years of age), but followed normal patterns in childhood until puberty. In contrast, children with SV CAH had normal patterns of growth in infancy and early childhood and were considerably taller than healthy references during childhood. In the longitudinal study, peak height velocity in both boys and girls was normal, but it occurred at an earlier age than in the standard population. The final height of patients with CAH was reduced in comparison to both the reference and the individual target height. No correlations were found between final height and age at the start of the therapy in SV patients or between final height and year of birth. BA was advanced in both types of CAH, but more accelerated in SV patients. CONCLUSION: Characteristic growth patterns for treated SV and SW CAH children were identified, with a normal pubertal growth spurt and reduced final height being observed.     

Sex differences in height and sitting height in the Belgian population

Sex differences in growth were studied in a longitudinal study of 39 boys and 31 girls for sitting height. Individual growth patterns were determined by means of Preece Baines model 1. The results showed no significant bias in the fits of height and sitting height in boys and girls. Girls fits were significantly better than those of the boys for both height and sitting height. Univariate analysis by means of Mann-Whitney test showed significant sex differences for all function and biological parameters of height and sitting height excepted for s₁ parameter (the rate constant controlling pubertal velocity). Linear discriminant analysis revealed that the strongest sex differences for the timing and size parameters at adolescent. Peak velocity at adolescent was slightly less discriminating between the two sexes and velocity at take-off showed the least sex difference. These trends were similar for height and sitting height. Decomposition of sex differences in adult size showed that the major contributor to adult the sex differences is the effect of the later onset of the adolescent growth spurt in boys than in girls. Sex differences in adult phenotypes of height and sitting height are to a slightly lesser extent due to the greater adolescent gain in boys while prepubertal sex differences are almost negligible.     

Size and shape regulation during larval growth in the lepidopteran Pieris brassicae

By adopting a longitudinal study design and through geometric morphometrics methods, we investigated size and shape regulation in the head capsule during the larval development of the cabbage butterfly Pieris brassicae under laboratory conditions. We found evidence of size regulation by compensatory growth, although not equally effective in all larval stages. Size compensation is not attained through the regulation of developmental timing, but rather through the modulation of per‐time growth rate. As for the shape, neither the variance of the symmetric component of shape, nor the level of fluctuating asymmetry show any evidence of increase across stages, either at the population or individual level, which is interpreted as a mark of ontogenetic shape regulation. In addition, also the geometry of individual asymmetry is basically conserved across stages. While providing specific documentation on the ontogeny of size and shape variation in this insect, this study may contribute to a more general understanding of developmental regulation and its influence on phenotypic evolution.     

Is paternal height related to fertility outcomes? Evidence from the Netherlands during the secular growth trend

Over the past two centuries, the Dutch experienced a tremendous secular trend in height, and ultimately became the tallest nation in the world. Improving environmental conditions likely played the largest role in explaining these developments. But it is not yet precisely clear what factor set the Dutch head and shoulders above other nations, who were also experiencing improving environmental conditions. Could fertility also have played a role? To understand this, we would first need to know whether height and fertility were related during the secular growth trend. In this study, we investigated whether this was the case. A sample of Dutch men, birth years 1850–1900 (n = 3396), was examined. We tested the extents to which height was associated with having a certain number of children, and with having a certain number of children survive infancy. Multinomial logistic regressions were used. In terms of findings, height’s relationship to fertility outcomes was curvilinear: being shorter-than-average (0.75–0.5 standard deviations below the mean height) was associated with a higher probability of being married and having five to seven children, while being moderately tall (0.5 standard deviations above the mean height) was associated with the lowest probability of being unmarried. There was no relationship between paternal height and children surviving infancy in the sample overall, but taller height was associated with a decreased risk of being in a high-mortality family among men born between 1880 and 1900. If paternal fertility played a role in the secular growth trend, we would expect to see very tall men have the most children, and clearly have the most children surviving infancy. Given this study’s findings, it is unlikely that this was the case.     

Clinical standards for growth in height of Belgian boys and girls,aged 2 to 18 years

The present paper presents the first clinical standard for growth in height of Belgian boys and girls, based on purely longitudinal data. Growth charts are provided with centiles of height for age along with growth curves of the typical early, average and late maturing child in the population. These new standards show the classical features of cross-sectional standards, but above that, they also provide information about the variability in individual growth patterns, as a result of variation in maturation. Average adult height is 176.6 cm (SD=6.3 cm) in boys and 163.3 cm (SD=5.7 cm) in girls. The representativity of these new standards with respect to the actual Belgian population has been by comparison with recent cross-sectional data, collected on a large number of subjects. These standards should be applied in all situations where interest lies in the evaluation of the normality of a child's growth pattern over some length of time and will therefore find their usefulness in clinical follow-up studies of growth.     

Developmental stage‐dependent influence of environmental factors on growth of rural Sundanese children in West Java,Indonesia

This study investigated the growth trajectories and the relative relevance levels of nutrition, disease, and hormonal status at various developmental stages among children in adverse environments to provide population‐based empirical evidence for the life history theory. Three years of longitudinal anthropometric data in 1‐year intervals were obtained from 418 boys and girls aged 0 to 12 years at recruitment. Following the final measurement, the main survey, which included blood and feces sampling, 3‐h interval food consumption recall surveys for energy and nutrient intakes and anthropometry, was performed. Blood and feces were used for detecting, respectively, anemia and hormonal (IGF‐I and IGFBP‐3) levels as well as intestinal helminthiasis (Ascaris, Trichuris, and hookworm). The major findings of this study are summarized as follows: 1) the growth velocity of the subject children lagged behind international standards during childhood and juvenility but caught up during early adolescence; 2) diseases, both intestinal helminths and anemia, had significant effects on growth in childhood but not at older ages; and 3) hormonal status significantly affected growth in the children, with its highest significance in early adolescence. A larger growth than international standards in early adolescence likely follows programmed hormonal mechanisms after the onset of puberty. The onset of puberty might be associated with adequate amounts of nutrient intake and be mediated by hormonal function, because the IGF‐IZ score was significantly correlated with energy and protein intakes at the transitional period from juvenility to adolescence, when puberty occurs. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:94–106, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Growth status of disadvantaged urban Guatemalan children of a resettled community

This paper reports the physical growth and body composition from the first year of longitudinal study of 519 Guatemalan children, and their families, from a disadvantaged urban community consisting largely of refugees of the 1976 earthquake. Four cohorts are described, composed of children of 1,3,5, and 7 years at examination. The children are smaller, weigh less, and have reduced fat stores compared either to NCHS reference data or to upper SES Guatemalan children. Stature (or length) and head circumference deviate more from reference data than do triceps or upper arm muscle circumference. Greater deviations are found in the linear dimensions of males than of females. These children are the smallest yet described from Guatemala City, though they are slightly larger than available rural samples. This suggests a continuum of environmental effects acting upon the growth of children of differing socioeconomic levels.     

红松单木高生长模型的研究

１引言生长模型是定量研究树木生长过程的有效手段。它既可对林木生长作出现实的评价,也可用来预估将来各测树因子的变化;既是编制修订各种数表的基础,也是森林经营中各种措施实施的依据。在林学上,生长模型主要包括单木生长模型和林分生长模型,其中单木生长模型是林...     

Household wealth and gender gap widening in height: Evidence from adolescents in Ethiopia,India, Peru,and Vietnam

This study investigates the relationship between household wealth and child height utilizing longitudinal data on 7150 children from Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. The concept of conditional wealth is applied to separate the influence of wealth in early childhood. Conditional wealth is the change in wealth that was unpredicted at the age of 5 years. This study finds two dimensions of heterogeneity in the wealth-gradient of adolescent height: gender and stunting status at the age of 5 years. For all four countries in the study, the effect of conditional wealth on adolescent height is stronger for boys than for girls. The estimates for the pooled sample indicate that after the age of 5 years, the growth of children who were stunted at that age is significantly more responsive to conditional wealth than the growth of non-stunted children. The analysis results show that for boys in Ethiopia, a one-standard-deviation increase in preadolescence wealth is associated with an increase of 1 cm (standard error [SE]: 0.3) in height at the age of 15 years. For boys in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Peru, and Vietnam, the corresponding figures are 1.1 cm (SE: 0.4), 1.8 cm (SE: 0.4), and 1.2 cm (SE: 0.4), respectively. The effect of preadolescence wealth on adolescent height is not statistically significant for girls, except in some regions. Overall, the results suggest that household wealth in preadolescence disproportionately benefits the male population in these countries when using height as a proxy for health.     

Tracking: Concepts,methods and tools

Tracking can be defined as the tendency of an individual, or a collection of individuals, to maintain a particular course of growth over time relative to other individuals. A measure of tracking based on Cohen's kappa statistic and the tracking indices proposed by Foulkes-Davis and McMahan are considered. Applications, including significance testing, are made to a study of the growth of Guatemalan school children whose stature was measured longitudinally malan school children whose stature was measured longitudinally from 7 to 12 years of age. User-friendly programs for computing these indices are described and made available to interested readers. Supported by USPHS Research Grant DE-08730-03 from the National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA.     

Diarrhea,respiratory infections,protozoan gastrointestinal parasites,and child growth in Kathmandu,Nepal

The differential impact of diarrhea, respiratory infections, and protozoan parasitism on growth is investigated among children under five years of age living in periurban Kathmandu, Nepal. The children's parents are all carpet-making workers who live in an environment with crowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and contaminated water. Anthropometric data, both cross-sectional and longitudinal, were collected over a 9-month period. Morbidity data were gathered from maternal reports, and a subsample of children's stools were examined for gastrointestinal parasites. In a comparison of current growth status and growth velocity for children with and without diarrhea and respiratory infections, it is found that body weight is most affected by infections, particularly for children under 24 months of age. For a subsample of children whose stools were tested for parasites, there is a statistically significant association between stunting (low height-for-age) and the presence of a protozoan gastrointestinal parasite. It is concluded that although growth faltering is associated with diarrhea and respiratory infections, the impact of these infections is of less importance for long-term linear growth retardation than is infection by protozoan gastrointestinal parasites.     

Cardiovascular regulation profile predicts developmental trajectory of BMI and pediatric obesity

The present study examined the role of cardiovascular regulation in predicting pediatric obesity. Participants for this study included 268 children (141 girls) obtained from a larger ongoing longitudinal study. To assess cardiac vagal regulation, resting measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and RSA change (vagal withdrawal) to three cognitively challenging tasks were derived when children were 5.5 years of age. Heart period (HP) and HP change (heart rate (HR) acceleration) were also examined. Height and weight measures were collected when children were 5.5, 7.5, and 10.5 years of age. Results indicated that physiological regulation at age 5.5 was predictive of both normal variations in BMI development and pediatric obesity at age 10.5. Specifically, children with a cardiovascular regulation profile characterized by lower levels of RSA suppression and HP change experienced significantly greater levels of BMI growth and were more likely to be classified as overweight/at-risk for overweight at age 10.5 compared to children with a cardiovascular regulation profile characterized by high levels of RSA suppression and HP change. However, a significant interaction with racial status was found suggesting that the association between cardiovascular regulation profile and BMI growth and pediatric obesity was only significant for African-American children. An autonomic cardiovascular regulation profile consisting of low parasympathetic activity represents a significant individual risk factor for the development of pediatric obesity, but only for African-American children. Mechanisms by which early physiological regulation difficulties may contribute to the development of pediatric obesity are discussed.     

Variability in the growth rate of chub Leuciscus cephalus along a longitudinal river gradient

An increase in individual growth rate of chub Leuciscus cephalus along a longitudinal river gradient of the Rhône River basin was observed and supported by significant differences between mean growth rates of successive river size groups. The potential implications of the results for studies on species traits variability along large-scale environmental gradients are discussed.     

Child growth and the economic value of children in rural Bolivia

Previous investigations have yielded contradictory conclusions concerning the importance of the economic contribution of children to households in agricultural societies. The present study evaluates the significance of children 's economic input in rural Ancoraimes, Bolivia by using child growth as an indirect indicator of the economic value of children. Children whose households differed in size and age composition were compared on the basis of five anthropometric measurements. Children from households with many young, nonproducing children were found to be significantly smaller for their age than children from households with few nonproducing children. Absolute household size had no major effect on child growth. While young children have a negative effect on the growth of children in the household, the positive effect of children as they grow older appears to make up for this loss. In terms of child growth, children are neither a net liability nor a net asset to agricultural households in Ancoraimes.