Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Short-term growth in head circumference and its relationship with supine length in healthy infants
Silvia Caino1, Diana Kelmansky, Paula Adamo
1Servicio de Crecimiento y Desarrollo, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr J. P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina. scaino@garrahan.gov.ar
Insights
Infant growth, including head circumference and supine length, is a discontinuous process. Daily measurements reveal similar patterns of stasis, steep changes, and continuous growth in both head and body dimensions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Growth and Development
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Childhood growth is recognized as a non-linear, complex process.
- Previous research identified a tri-phasic growth pattern (stasis, saltation, continuous growth) in height, but daily head circumference changes remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze daily growth patterns in head circumference and supine length in healthy infants.
- To investigate the presence of previously identified growth phases in head circumference.
Main Methods:
- Measurements of supine length and head circumference were taken five times weekly for 151 days in eight healthy infants.
- Data smoothing incorporated mean intra-observer technical error of measurement (TEM) for both parameters, utilizing a hard rejection criterion.
Main Results:
- The study observed the same three growth event types (stasis, steep changes, continuous growth) in head circumference as previously noted in supine length.
- Steep growth changes (saltation) occurred more frequently in supine length compared to head circumference.
Conclusions:
- Infant growth, encompassing both skull and long bones, is characterized by discontinuous and irregular patterns.
- Despite differing long-term growth curves, daily measurements suggest a common underlying physiological pattern for skull and long bone growth, warranting further investigation.
Background:
Daily changes in height have been found to be a non-linear process. Its exact pattern is still controversial. In previous studies on 34 healthy children aged 0.32-12.99 years, we found that growth is a tri-phasic process: stasis, steep changes (or saltation) and continuous growth. There is very little information in the literature about daily changes in head circumference.
Aim:
The present study analysed growth in head circumference and supine length in eight healthy infants.
Subject And Methods:
Supine length and head circumference was measured five times a week during 151 days. Mean intra-observer technical error of measurement (TEM) for head circumference and supine length were 0.10 and 0.15 cm, respectively; smoothing techniques used were based on the TEM with a hard rejection criterion.
Results:
The three types of events previously found in supine length are also present in head circumference. The number of steep changes was greater in supine length than in head circumference.
Conclusion:
Growth is a discontinuous and irregular process, present not only in long bones but also in skull bones. Although long-term growth curves of head circumference and supine length are different, when measured on a daily basis findings suggest that skull and long bones have a common pattern; the physiological basis needs future research.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Nature and Nurture
01:14Temperature Measurement Sites
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...