TY - JOUR
T1 - Human linear growth trajectory defined
AU - Mon, Anderson
AU - Cabana, Michael
AU - Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie
AU - Meyerhoff, Dieter Johannes
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of a simple mathematical formula for prediction of individual child linear growth. The formula describes a square root dependence of height on age with only two constants, k and C. Methods: Retrospective serial height measurements of 137 healthy children (61 female), who attended clinic in the Pediatrics Department at the University of California, San Francisco were used. For each child, two of the initial measurements and their corresponding measurement times were used to determine the values of k and C. By substituting the determined values of k and C into the formula, the formula was then used to predict the trajectory of the child's growth. Results: The 137 children were comprised of 20% Hispanic, 23% African-American, 27% Caucasian and 30% Asian. The formula predicted growth trajectories of 136 out of the 137 children with minimal discrepancies between the measured data and the corresponding predicted data. The mean of the discrepancies was 0.8 cm. Conclusions: Our proposed formula is very easy to use and predicts individual child growth with high precision irrespective of gender or ethnicity. The formula will be a valuable tool for studying human growth and possibly growths of other animals.
AB - Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of a simple mathematical formula for prediction of individual child linear growth. The formula describes a square root dependence of height on age with only two constants, k and C. Methods: Retrospective serial height measurements of 137 healthy children (61 female), who attended clinic in the Pediatrics Department at the University of California, San Francisco were used. For each child, two of the initial measurements and their corresponding measurement times were used to determine the values of k and C. By substituting the determined values of k and C into the formula, the formula was then used to predict the trajectory of the child's growth. Results: The 137 children were comprised of 20% Hispanic, 23% African-American, 27% Caucasian and 30% Asian. The formula predicted growth trajectories of 136 out of the 137 children with minimal discrepancies between the measured data and the corresponding predicted data. The mean of the discrepancies was 0.8 cm. Conclusions: Our proposed formula is very easy to use and predicts individual child growth with high precision irrespective of gender or ethnicity. The formula will be a valuable tool for studying human growth and possibly growths of other animals.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883049646&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajhb.22428
DO - 10.1002/ajhb.22428
M3 - Article
C2 - 23934960
AN - SCOPUS:84883049646
SN - 1042-0533
VL - 25
SP - 666
EP - 672
JO - American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council
JF - American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council
IS - 5
ER -