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IV. skeletal development from birth to 7 years
Insights
Swedish children exhibit advanced skeletal development compared to British children, with similar ossification patterns observed across Swedish studies, indicating a secular trend. This longitudinal study tracked 212 urban children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric skeletal development
- Human growth and development studies
- Anthropometry and biostatistics
Background:
- Longitudinal growth studies are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.
- Skeletal ossification timing is a key indicator of biological maturation.
- Secular trends in growth and development have been observed globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate skeletal development in a cohort of Swedish urban children.
- To compare ossification timing with previous Swedish and international growth studies.
- To identify secular trends and sex-specific differences in skeletal maturation.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study design involving 212 Swedish urban children.
- Radiographic assessment of hand and wrist ossification at specified ages.
- Analysis of 2,191 radiographs up to seven years of age.
Main Results:
- A secular trend in the timing of first ossification was identified compared to older Swedish data.
- Ossification patterns showed high similarity between two Swedish investigations, differing from a North American study.
- Swedish children demonstrated advanced skeletal development compared to British children, particularly in epiphyseal bones.
Conclusions:
- Swedish children's skeletal development shows a secular trend and advanced maturation relative to British children.
- Consistent ossification patterns across Swedish studies suggest reliable regional developmental norms.
- Relative sex differences in ossification are comparable between Swedish and North American populations.
Abstract:
The skeletal development of 212 randomly selected Swedish urban children has been investigated as part of a prospective longitudinal study of growth and development. Radiograms of the hand and wrist were taken at specified ages. Up to the age of seven years 2.191 radiograms were assessed. When comparing the timing of the first ossification of the various bones in the present study and an older Swedish investigation a secular trend was found. In contrast to a North-American growth study, there was a striking similarity of the pattern of the first ossification in the two Swedish investigations for both sexes separately. However, the relative sex differences of the ossification were quite similar in the North-American growth study and the present investigation. In comparison with British children the skeletal development of Swedish children was advanced at all ages, the advancement being greater for epiphyseal bones than for carpal bones.