Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Proportionality changes in the first year of life; the influence of weight for gestational age at birth

M Ounsted, V A Moar

    Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica
    |September 1, 1986
    PubMed

    Insights

    Infant growth patterns reveal that body proportions change significantly from birth to 12 months. These adjustments help infants achieve upright posture and developmental milestones like sitting and walking.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric growth and development
    • Human body proportionality
    • Infant anthropometry

    Background:

    • Understanding infant growth is crucial for identifying potential developmental issues.
    • Gestational age significantly impacts infant anthropometric measurements.
    • Body proportionality changes during early development.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze anthropometric changes in infants based on birth size (small-for-gestational age, average-for-gestational age, large-for-gestational age).
    • To investigate the relationship between body segment ratios and infant development up to 12 months.
    • To explore the target-oriented nature of these proportional changes.

    Main Methods:

    • Longitudinal monitoring of 166 infants (55 SGA, 56 AGA, 55 LGA) from birth to 12 months.
    • Regular measurement of head-chest, head-length, chest-length, and stem-stature ratios.
    • Comparative analysis of anthropometric data across different gestational age groups.

    Main Results:

    • Small-for-gestational age infants exhibited high head-chest ratios at birth, normalizing by 6 months.
    • Head-length ratios consistently decreased, with SGA infants showing the highest and LGA infants the lowest values.
    • Chest-length and stem-stature ratios demonstrated specific patterns of change, stabilizing from 6 months onwards.

    Conclusions:

    • Infant body proportionality undergoes significant, target-oriented changes during the first year of life.
    • These proportional adjustments appear to facilitate the attainment of upright posture and motor milestones.
    • The study highlights the dynamic nature of infant growth and development.

    More Related Videos

    Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts07:56

    Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

    Published on: January 29, 2018

    A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect05:04

    A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

    Published on: September 22, 2023

    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...
    Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface01:20

    Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface

    An object's apparent weight is its weight measured by a spring balance at its location. It is different from its true weight, the force with which the Earth pulls it, because of the Earth's rotation. Mathematically, an object's apparent weight equals its true weight minus the centripetal force that keeps it in a circular motion along with the Earth's surface every 24 hours.
    The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...
    Normal Distribution01:11

    Normal Distribution

    The normal, a continuous distribution, is the most important of all the distributions. Its graph is a bell-shaped symmetrical curve, which is observed in almost all disciplines. Some of these include psychology, business, economics, the sciences, nursing, and, of course, mathematics. Some instructors may use the normal distribution to help determine students’ grades. Most IQ scores are normally distributed. Often real-estate prices fit a normal distribution. The normal distribution is extremely...
    z Scores and Area Under the Curve01:17

    z Scores and Area Under the Curve

    z scores are the standardized values obtained after converting a normal distribution into a standard normal distribution. A z score is measured in units of the standard deviation. The z score tells you how many standard deviations the value x is above (to the right of) or below (to the left of) the mean, μ. Values of x that are larger than the mean have positive z scores, and values of x that are smaller than the mean have negative z scores. If x equals the mean, then x has a z score of zero.
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

    Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
    Rate of Change: Problem Solving01:26

    Rate of Change: Problem Solving

    Temperature-Dependent Growth of Brook TroutThe growth of brook trout is closely influenced by water temperature. Experimental data demonstrate how trout weight changes over a 24-day period in response to varying water temperatures. At lower temperatures, such as 15.5 degrees Celsius, brook trout show significant weight gain. However, as the temperature increases, the amount of weight gained steadily decreases. At the highest temperature measured, 24.4 degrees Celsius, trout experience a net...