Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
07:56

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

Published on: January 29, 2018

Growth references for height, weight, and head circumference for Argentine children with achondroplasia

Mariana del Pino1, Virginia Fano, Horacio Lejarraga

  • 1Growth and Development, Pediatric Garrahan Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mdelpino@garrahan.gov.ar

European Journal of Pediatrics
|October 13, 2010
PubMed

Insights

New growth references for Argentine children with achondroplasia show lower final height and head circumference compared to US data. These national references are crucial for accurate clinical growth assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Genetics
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Achondroplasia is a genetic condition affecting bone growth.
  • Accurate growth references are essential for monitoring child development.
  • Existing references may not accurately reflect local populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish national growth references for Argentine children with achondroplasia.
  • To compare Argentine growth data with international references.
  • To provide a tool for clinical assessment and management.

Main Methods:

  • Data collected from 228 Argentine children (0-18 years) with achondroplasia (1992-2009).
  • LMS method used to calculate centiles for height, weight, and head circumference.
  • Comparison with USA achondroplasia growth references.

Main Results:

  • Argentine children showed similar height centiles to US references in infancy and childhood.
  • Adolescent height centiles were lower than US references.
  • Final height was 1.7-5.1 cm below US references for girls and boys.
  • Head circumference centiles were consistently lower than US references for both genders.

Conclusions:

  • National growth references are vital for accurate clinical assessment of children with achondroplasia.
  • The developed references can aid in detecting growth abnormalities and estimating final height.
  • These references may be applicable to countries with similar ethnographic characteristics.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones06:58

Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones

Published on: April 26, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
Applications of Normal Distribution01:22

Applications of Normal Distribution

The normal distribution is a useful statistical tool. One of its practical applications is determining the door height after considering the normal distribution of heights of persons, such that many can pass through it easily without striking their heads. The normal distribution can also determine the probability of a person having a height less than a specific height.
The heights of 15 to 18-year-old males from Chile from 1984 to 1985 followed a normal distribution. The mean height is 172.36...
Signs of Puberty01:27

Signs of Puberty

Puberty is a critical phase, typically beginning between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys, though timing can vary based on genetics, environmental factors, and overall health. This period is characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics and the attainment of reproductive potential. Endocrine changes underpin puberty, with hormonal surges of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) instigated by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)...
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue01:27

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Chondrocytes form a temporary cartilaginous model by dividing and secreting a thick gel-like extracellular matrix. Once the chondrocytes undergo programmed cell death, osteoblasts enter the site of the cartilaginous model. The process of replacing the temporary cartilaginous model with bone in an ordered manner is called endochondral ossification. In endochondral ossification, not all of the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue. Some cartilage that performs a protective and supportive function...