Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Normal growth in the short normal prepubertal child: the Wessex Growth Study
1Wessex Growth Study, University Child Health, Southampton General Hospital, UK.
Insights
Short, prepubertal children grow slower than average stature children but maintain their growth percentile. Their growth rate is not predictable by social or biological factors, questioning the value of height monitoring at this age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Human growth and development
- Child health monitoring
Background:
- Understanding normal growth patterns is crucial for identifying potential health issues in children.
- Prepubertal children with short stature require careful evaluation to distinguish between normal variation and underlying medical conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the normal growth rate for short, prepubertal children.
- To compare the growth patterns of short children with those of average stature.
Main Methods:
- A community-based observational study involving 109 very short children (<3rd height percentile) and 107 controls (5th-90th percentile).
- Growth velocity and changes in height standard deviation score were measured between 6 and 9 years of age.
Main Results:
- Short children exhibited a slower absolute growth rate (5.3 cm/year) compared to controls (5.9 cm/year).
- Relative growth rates, indicated by height standard deviation score changes, were similar between groups.
- No social or biological factors predicted growth rate in short children, except target height in controls.
Conclusions:
- Short, prepubertal children grow more slowly but not necessarily more poorly than average stature children.
- Children in both groups maintained their relative height percentiles between 6 and 9 years of age.
- The study questions the clinical utility of intensive height monitoring for children in this age group.
Objective:
The study aimed at defining the normal rate of growth for short, prepubertal children, and comparing their pattern of growth with those of average stature.
Setting:
Community based.
Design:
Observation of an unselected population of 109 very short, normal prepubertal children (< 3rd height centile) and 107 controls matched for age and sex (10th to 90th centile).
Main Outcome Measures:
Height, velocity, change in height standard deviation score, from 6 to 9 years of age.
Results:
The absolute mean rate of growth was significantly different between groups--short normal 5.3 cm/year, controls 5.9 cm/year--corresponding to velocities on the 25th and 50th centiles, respectively. The relative growth rates, however, as shown by the changes in height standard deviation score (short normal 0.10 (SD 0.22), controls 0.10 (SD 0.24) did not differ, and each group remained close to its original 3rd and 50th centiles. Two short children showed "catch up" growth after adoption, but, otherwise, the divergence from their original height centile was the same for short normal and control children. No social or biological factors were found to predict growth rate in the short normal children, and only target height in controls. "Normal" velocity is conditional on height. Short normal children do grow more slowly than children of average stature, but they do not necessarily grow more poorly. From 6 to 9 years of age they are no more likely to fall off their height centiles than children of average stature. The value of height monitoring at this age is questioned.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:18Polygenic Traits
01:10Nature and Nurture
02:32Variation: Normal Distribution, Range, and Standard Deviation
01:11Normal Distribution
01:22Applications of Normal Distribution
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...
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
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...