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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

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Published on: August 8, 2017

Human linear growth trajectory defined.

Anderson Mon¹, Michael Cabana, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher

¹Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California; NCIRE, Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California; Department of Biomedical Engineering, All Nations University College, Koforidua, Ghana.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council

|August 13, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A simple mathematical formula accurately predicts individual child linear growth, showing high precision across diverse demographics. This tool offers a valuable method for tracking human growth patterns.

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Area of Science:

Pediatrics
Human Growth and Development
Biomathematics

Background:

Accurate prediction of individual child linear growth is crucial for monitoring development.
Existing methods may be complex or lack precision for individual trajectories.
A simple, precise growth prediction model is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate a straightforward mathematical formula for predicting individual child linear growth.
The formula models height as a square root function of age, utilizing two constants (k and C).

Main Methods:

Utilized retrospective serial height measurements from 137 healthy children.
Determined formula constants (k and C) using initial measurements and time points for each child.
Applied the formula with determined constants to predict individual growth trajectories.

Main Results:

The study included a diverse cohort: 20% Hispanic, 23% African-American, 27% Caucasian, and 30% Asian.
The formula successfully predicted growth trajectories for 136 out of 137 children.
Observed minimal discrepancies between predicted and measured growth, with a mean difference of 0.8 cm.

Conclusions:

The proposed formula is user-friendly and predicts individual child growth with high accuracy.
Prediction accuracy is maintained irrespective of child's gender or ethnicity.
The formula presents a valuable tool for human growth studies and potentially for other species' growth analysis.