The effects of high altitudes on child growth and development

This study compares the growth characteristics of populations of Tibetan origin living in Nepal to high altitude populations of Peru and Ethiopia. Measurements were made on two groups of children, a sample of Sherpas living in the Everest region of northeast Nepal at elevations in excess of 3500 m, and a sample of Tibetan children living in Kathmandu at an altitude of 1000 m. Although the Tibetan children showed some growth advancement over the highland sample of Sherpas, the differences were less than might have been expected on the basis of work carried out in Peru, where long established high altitude populations live at similar elevations to those of Himalayan populations. In particular, some growth trends seen in Andean populations, such as the increased diameter of the chest wall, are not seen in populations of Tibetan origin. It is suggested that genetic influences may exert a stronger effect on the growth of high altitude populations than hitherto believed.Presented the Seventh International Biometeorological Congress, 17–23 August 1975, College Park, Maryland, USA.