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Growth in early life and its relation to pubertal growth
Zhong Cheng Luo1, Yin Bun Cheung, Qing He
1Clinical Trials Centre and Department of Pediatrics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, The P R China.
Insights
Early childhood growth impacts pubertal timing and height gain. Smaller birth size predicts earlier puberty and less adolescent height increase, influencing overall growth trajectories.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Human growth and development
- Childhood obesity
Background:
- The relationship between early life growth patterns (fetal, infancy, childhood) and pubertal development remains underexplored.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for predicting adolescent growth trajectories and potential health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fetal, infancy, and childhood growth parameters and the timing and magnitude of pubertal growth.
- To determine how early life size and growth velocity influence peak height velocity and overall height gain during adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal growth study data from 3650 healthy children born in Gothenburg, Sweden (1973-1975).
- Analysis included 2738 children with complete height and weight data from early life through adolescence.
- Statistical analysis to correlate early growth metrics with pubertal growth characteristics.
Main Results:
- Faster linear growth in infancy and childhood correlated with earlier peak height velocity during adolescence.
- Greater birth height and body mass index (BMI) were associated with later peak height velocity.
- Accelerated early growth and higher childhood BMI predicted reduced height gain between ages 8 and 18.
- Higher birth height and BMI predicted increased height gain from ages 8 to 18, even after adjusting for childhood factors.
Conclusions:
- Both early life length and BMI (at birth, infancy, and childhood) significantly influence the timing and magnitude of pubertal growth.
- Small birth size is linked to earlier onset of puberty and diminished height gain during adolescence.
- These findings highlight the long-term impact of early growth on adolescent development and final adult stature.
Background:
The timing and magnitude of pubertal growth in relation to fetal, infancy and childhood growth have not been explored.
Methods:
We used data from a longitudinal growth study of 3650 full-term healthy children who were born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1973-1975. This analysis included 2738 children with height and weight measurements available both in early life and during adolescence.
Results:
We found that faster linear growth during infancy and childhood was associated with earlier peak height velocity during adolescence. In contrast, greater height and body mass index (BMI) at birth were associated with later peak height velocity in adolescence. Children with faster linear growth and greater BMI in infancy and childhood had less height gain between ages 8 and 18. However, greater height and BMI at birth were associated with more height gain between ages 8 and 18 after adjusting for height and BMI in childhood.
Conclusions:
Both length and BMI (at birth, in infancy and during childhood) are associated with the timing and magnitude of pubertal growth. Being small at birth is associated with early puberty and a reduced height gain during adolescence.