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Background: Growth retardation is a common health problem, which requires early prevention and detection. This study was conducted to define the approximate age at which stunting starts among the Iranian boys and girls. Method: The second phase of a population-based retrospective cohort nested case-control study on 400 children who were followed from birth to 7 years of age. This study was performed to define the pattern of growth among stunted and normal children and to reveal the age at which stunting starts in each gender. Results: Of the selected participants, 53% were girls. Also, about 18% of the children registered by the selected health centers were defined as stunted (under the 3rd percentile of the corresponding sex-age NCHS/WHO growth reference). For boys, the height was relatively similar between the two groups until the age of 6 months at which the difference in height between normal and stunted children starts to become significantly large (difference = 0.70 cm, P = 0.04). For girls, height in the two groups is relatively similar until the age of 9 months at which the difference starts to become significantly large (difference = 0.97 cm, P = 0.01). No significant difference in the weight of the girls was observed between the normal and stunted groups during the study period (difference = 283.21 g, P > 0.05). However, boys from the stunted group were lighter since almost the same time that they started to become significantly shorter (difference = 1265.19 g, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Soon after birth (at about the 6 months of age), the growth pattern of some (stunted) children starts to stumble and divert from normal. The sixth month of age is the age at which mothers start weaning with withdrawing breast milk and start supplementary foods and adult diet. A specially designed study is needed to understand the actual reason for observing such a phenomenon among Iranian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Girls tend to have a lower risk of stunting than boys do in low-income countries.Objective: We evaluated differences in height status and complementary food (CF) intake between sexes from ages 2 to 39 mo in Senegal.Methods: Length and weight measurements were taken at ages 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-10 mo (n = 7319). Qualitative 24-h and 7-d food recalls were conducted in a subgroup (n = 2512). A smaller subsample was followed up to age 39 mo (n = 512). Height was measured, and intake of CF was noted. Boys and girls were compared in terms of height-for-age z score (HAZ) of WHO standards and National Center for Health Statistics growth reference, height-for-age difference, stunting, and consumption of CF by using chi-square tests, general linear models, and mixed-effects linear models (MLMs).Results: By using WHO standards, the mean HAZ was lower for boys than for girls in infancy, i.e., at 2-3 mo of age (-0.65 compared with -0.57; P = 0.002) and beyond, i.e., at 24-29 mo of age (-2.01 compared with -1.65; P < 0.001). Overall risk of stunting was 24.5% and 19.4% for boys and girls, respectively, during infancy (P < 0.001) compared with 59.2% and 47.9%, respectively, at 12-39 mo (P = 0.010). In MLMs from ages 2 to 39 mo, boys had a lower mean HAZ than girls had at age 2 mo (β0 = -0.19; P = 0.035), and sex differences increased with increasing age (β1 = -0.007 z scores/mo; P < 0.001). At 2-3 mo of age, boys were more likely to have been fed CF every day during the past week (15.8% compared with 11.2% for girls; P = 0.005) and to have eaten ≥2 meals in the past 24 h (13.4% compared with 8.2% for girls; P < 0.001).Conclusions: In Senegalese infants, CF intake differed by sex, with boys more likely to consume CF. Boys had lower HAZs than girls had during infancy, and sex differences increased up to age 39 mo. The importance of sex in complementary feeding and growth warrants further attention in low-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several human growth-related charts are presented which highlight the length-for-age, weight-for-age, and stature-for-age percentiles for various classifications of individuals such as girls and boys from birth to 36 months old and girls and boys aged two to 20 years old.

This article presents the results of a comparative analysis of indicators characterizing the development of secondary sex characteristics of Belarusian Polesye schoolchildren surveyed in 1976-1978 and in 2010-2012, from which the earlier onset of puberty in boys today was established. However, the pace of the development of secondary sex characteristics (pubic and axillary hair growth) was slower than that of boys surveyed 40 years ago, as a result of which the definitive stage of development, when sexual features are fully developed, was reached at the same time by both groups of boys. Modern girls, on the other hand, began to mature and reached the definitive stage of development for secondary sex characteristics (enlarged breasts, pubic and axillary hair) significantly earlier (p <0.001) than their predecessors in the late 1970s. After 40 years, the average age at menarche had decreased by 1 year and 5 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an analysis of the impact of social and biological factors on the physical and sexual development of urban schoolchildren from the city of Gomel, Belarus, surveyed in 2010-2012. In total, 1,693 boys and 1,757 girls were examined, between the ages of 7 to 17. It was found that the growth of urban schoolchildren was more influenced by biological factors than social ones. The most important biological factors influencing the formation of the morphofunctional statuses of school age children were length and weight at birth, duration of breast feeding, and the anthropometric status of the mother. Whereas, the important social factors were living conditions and levels of physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often assumed that early life circumstances, in particular before age two, are important for later human capital development. Using experimental variation in the timing of benefits from a conditional cash transfer program, we test the hypothesis that intervention starting in utero and continuing in the first two years is critical. At age ten, boys exposed to the program during this period had better cognitive, but not anthropometric, outcomes than those exposed in their second year of life or later. The lack of a differential effect on anthropometrics was due catch-up growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this study was to test the validity of a newly developed statistical model in establishing the cervical vertebral bone age in growing children. The sample of the study consisted of lateral cephalometric and hand-wrist radiographs of 122 Saudi male children. Subjects were divided based on their chronological age into six groups: 10–15years. The metric dimensions of the vertebral body of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae were measured from the lateral cephalometric radiographs and a statistical model was developed through a stepwise multiple regression analysis to calculate the cervical vertebral bone age. The validity of the statistical model was assessed against the bone age and skeletal age determined from the hand-wrist radiographs using the Tanner–Whitehouse 3 method and the Greulich and Pyle atlas method. No significant (P <0.05) difference and high correlation were found between the calculated cervical vertebral bone age and the bone/skeletal age established by the hand-wrist methods. No significant (P <0.05) difference and high correlation were demonstrated between the calculated cervical vertebral bone age and the chronological age. The results of this study indicate that the established statistical formula for cervical vertebral bone age calculation is useful in determining the skeletal maturation in growing children as the other well-established hand-wrist methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Body size, physique, physiological function and motor ability have been studied in 86,744 Chinese Han boys 9-18 years of age, classified as pre- or post-spermarcheal. The effect of urban versus rural residence and socioeconomic class on median spermarcheal age was also examined.

Longitudinal data from the Wroclaw (Poland) Growth Study has been used to investigate the relationships among skeletal maturation rate, midparent height and growth in height during adolescence for 184 boys and 166 girls. Seven biological parameters derived from the Preece-Baines model 1 were applied to the data.

Longitudinal data from the Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study has been used to study the magnitude and timing of peak velocities in height and tissue for 60 adolescent boys and 53 adolescent girls characterized as early, average, or late maturing. Topics include a comparison of males and females and maturity comparisons.

Aim: To study the influence of growth hormone (GH) treatment on the initiation and progression of puberty in short children. Methods: This prospective, randomized, controlled study included 124 short children (33 girls) who received GH treatment (Genotropin®; Pfizer Inc.) from a mean age of 11 years until near adult height [intent-to-treat (ITT) population]. Children were randomized into three groups: controls (n = 33), GH 33 μg/kg/day (n = 34) or GH 67 μg/kg/day (n = 57). Prepubertal children at study start constituted the per-protocol (PP) population (n = 101). Auxological measurements were made and puberty was staged every 3 months. Serum sex-steroid concentrations were assessed every 6 months. Results: No significant differences were found between the groups, of both PP and ITT populations, in time elapsed from start of treatment until either onset of puberty, age at start of puberty or age at final pubertal maturation in either sex. In the ITT population, pubertal duration was significantly longer in GH-treated girls, and maximum mean testicular volume was significantly greater in GH-treated boys than controls, but there were no differences in testosterone levels between the groups. Conclusion: GH treatment did not influence age at onset of puberty and did not accelerate pubertal development. In boys, GH treatment appeared to increase testicular volume. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. During a biological year one can observe the effects of seasonal change on the number of functions and processes in the human organism. The rhythmical seasonal changes of a year are directly connected with a number of the functions of the human body. In humans, the first six months of a year are characterized by increased sympathetic nervous activity, while the next six months are characterized by increased parasympathetic nervous activity. As such, both somatic and motoric changes lead to periods of either high or low physical efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess what changes occur in the morphological and functional development of 14-15 year-old girls and boys across an entire year. Methods. The study of the seasonality of motoric fitness described herein was of a longitudinal character and was conducted five times, with a three- month interval between each study (1 -June, 2- September, 3-December, 4-March, 5 -June) during 2004-2005. The study was conducted at the No. 1 and No. 7 Lower Secondary Schools in Opole, Poland, where 452 students (216 girls and 236 boys) participated in the study. Results. The results of this study found that there are two phases of increased levels of physical efficiency, which are particularly pronounced in March and June. From the results of this study as well as from results obtained from other available studies, it was found that the transition periods between seasons, especially during the transition between the first and second half of the year, are particularly unfavourable to the human organism. Having assessed these particular periods of the year (on the basis of a participant's training load), it seems necessary to emphasize that this transition is the most pronounced between the autumn and winter seasons. Significant seasonal changes were found in the general metabolism of the body, which is the most visible in regards to somatic development. An increase in the body's height and weight among teenagers starts abruptly in the spring season, reaches its peak in the summer, then it decreases in the autumn season and goes up again in winter. The study shows that from April till September a build-up of tissues occurs in the human organism, while from October till March the body stabilizes and uses its accumulated reserves. In the spring, the human body regenerates its central nervous system as it is influenced by sun and warmth and produces particular substances which function as links in the energetic and regenerative processes of nerve tissue. Conclusion. Seasonal changeability in the human organism leads to differences in levels of physical fitness. It is necessary to emphasize the character of seasonal changes on the physical fitness of boys and girls at the age of puberty. Through analysing intersexual variability of motoric skills it is possible to determine the exact direction of these differences. In tests that measured hand movement as well as body agility and flexibility, the female subjects achieved better results, particularly after the winter season. In regards to the scores achieved in the remaining Euro fit tests, the male subjects were at the forefront when compared to the females. On the basis of the research material presented in this article, it is claimed that the seasonal rhythm of the physical efficiency of the human body is also reflected in changes of motoric fitness. Thus, it can be considered appropriate to continue studies in this field in order to understand all and any phenomena and regularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The testes of preadolescent boys appear to be dormant, as they produce only trace levels of testosterone [1]. However, they release supra-adult levels of Mü llerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS, anti-Müllerian hormone) and lesser levels of inhibin B (InhB), for unknown reasons [2,3]. Boys have a variable rate of maturation, which on average is slower than girls. The height of children relative to their parents is an index of their maturity [4,5]. We report here that a boy's level of MIS and InhB is stable over time and negatively correlates with his height and his height relative to his parent's height. This suggests that boy's with high levels of MIS and InhB are short because they are immature, rather than because they are destined to be short men. The levels of MIS and InhB in the boys did not correlate with known hormonal modulators of growth, and were additive with age and the growth hormone/IGF1 axis as predictors of a boy's height. If MIS and InhB were causal regulators of maturity, then the inter-boy differences in the levels of these hormone produces variation in maturation equivalent to 18- months of development. MIS and InhB may thus account for most of the variation in the rate of male development. If boys lacked these hormones, then an average 5-year-old boy would be over 5 cm taller than age-matched girls, making boys almost as dimorphic as men, for height. This indicates that boys have a high growth potential that is initially suppressed by their testes. The concept of the childhood testes suppressing an adult male feature appears paradoxical. However, the growth of children requires intergenerational transfer of nutrients. Consequently, the MIS/InhB slowing of male growth may have been historically advantageous, as it would minimizes any sex bias in the maternal cost of early child rearing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a study on the correlation between the growth of boys and their lifespan, focusing on tallness as a determinant of longer life. It discusses how the research, conducted among 6,075 Finnish men born during the period 1934-44 in Helsinki, Finland whose early growth records were analyzed, tended to show that boys who were taller at seven years of age lived longer. It notes however that rapid growth caused by compensatory growth in childhood may not accurately indicate longer life expectancy.

Background: Pubertal delay and growth retardation are common in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aims: To assess pubertal status and growth in a group of boys with IBD undergoing testosterone therapy for pubertal induction. Methods: Retrospective study of height, weight and pubertal status in 8 boys with IBD before and after testosterone therapy. Height velocity (HV) over the 6 months before each assessment was converted to standard deviation score. Markers of disease activity and concomitant medication were recorded. Response was based on an advance in pubertal status and a greater than 50% increase in HV. Results: Eight boys with IBD, median age 14.8 years, had pubertal induction using either monthly injections of 50 mg Sustanon or daily 2.5/5 mg Andropatch. Seven boys showed an advance of pubertal status. Six boys had a greater than 50% increase in HV; median HV at T0 was 1.6 cm/year (0, 5) compared with 6.9 cm/year (1, 11.7) at T6 (p = 0.005). C-reactive protein during testosterone therapy had a significant association with HV at T6 (r = -0.786; p = 0.021). Conclusion: In most cases, testosterone therapy in boys with IBD and delayed growth and puberty is associated with an advance in pubertal status and an improvement in growth. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) with short stature is one of the most common problems in pediatrics. We compared the effects of letrozole with that of oxandrolone on predicted adult height (PAH), puberty, bone mineral density, serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and blood lipoproteins. Methods: In a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 91 CDGP boys (12.6-14.6 years old) with predicted short stature were treated with letrozole (2.5 mg/day), oxandrolone (2.5 mg/day), or placebo, at the outpatient pediatric endocrine clinic of Mofid Children's Hospital in Tehran for 2 years. Results: Letrozole differed from oxandrolone and placebo in significantly increasing PAH (p < 0.05), and slightly but significantly decreasing HDL-cholesterol. Oxandrolone, and to a lesser degree letrozole, significantly increased the height standard deviation score and bone age compared to placebo. Conclusion: This first randomized controlled clinical trial in CDGD teenage boys with predicted short stature shows that letrozole increases PAH more than oxandrolone and advances pubertal stage and bone mineralization less. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several charts are presented with information on length-for-age and weight-for-age percentiles for boys and girls from the age of birth until 24 months of age and on stature-for-age and weight-for-age percentiles of boys and girls from two years to 20 years of age.

Abstract: Recent data suggest that prenatal exposure to p,p′-DDE may reduce height and increase body mass index (BMI) in childhood, thus potentially raising the risk of adult health problems. The association between prenatal DDE exposure and growth was evaluated in 788 boys from Chiapas, an area of Mexico where DDT was recently used. The median DDE levels in maternal serum at birth (2002–2003) were 2.7μg/g lipid. 2633 measurements of height (cm) and weight (kg) were obtained in 2004–2005. The median age of the children during follow-up was 18 months (quartiles 14 and 22 months). Height and body mass index (kg/m2) were age-standardized and expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS). Multivariate random-effect models for longitudinal data were fitted and predicted height and BMI SDS were estimated from the adjusted models. Overall, associations between prenatal DDE level and height or BMI SDS at any given age were not observed. For example, the predicted values showed that children with the highest exposure (DDE: >9.00μg/g) compared to those least exposed (DDE: <3.01μg/g) grew similarly and they had a BMI SDS similar to the referent group. The results do not support the prior findings of an association of DDE exposure with childhood height or BMI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purposes of this study were to compare the age of onset of the voice change in African American, White, and Hispanic male students, as well as to describe characteristics of the changing male voice in fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, using Cooksey’s maturation stages. Participants included volunteers from two urban elementary schools, five suburban elementary schools, one suburban middle school, and one urban middle school (African American n = 62, White n = 58, and Hispanic n = 77). Participants were recorded individually performing three ascending and three descending glissandi on an “ah” syllable. Results indicated that approximately 46% of fourth-grade participants, 62% of fifth-grade participants, and 67% of sixth-grade participants were classified as having changing voices. Results of a one-way, between-subjects ANOVA revealed no significant main effect for ethnicity, although a larger percentage of African American participants’ voices were classified as changing voices as compared with those of Hispanic and White participants. The overall mean age of onset for participants in this study was approximately 11.20 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Recent progress in modelling individual growth has been achieved by combining the principal component analysis and the maximum likelihood principle. This combination models growth even in incomplete sets of data and in data obtained at irregular intervals. We re-analysed late 18th century longitudinal growth of German boys from the boarding school Carlsschule in Stuttgart. The boys aged 6–23 years, were measured at irregular 3–12 monthly intervals during the period 1771–1793. At the age of 18 years, mean height was 1652mm, but height variation was large. The shortest boy reached 1474mm, the tallest 1826mm. Measured height closely paralleled modelled height, with mean difference of 4mm, SD 7mm. Seasonal height variation was found. Low growth rates occurred in spring and high growth rates in summer and autumn. The present study demonstrates that combining the principal component analysis and the maximum likelihood principle enables growth modelling in historic height data also. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Puberty is defined as the period during which reproductive capability is acquired. Normal puberty starts around 10 years, girls having the tend to start puberty earlier than boys. Puberty lasts 3-4 years, with the transition from one stage to another, almost every year. Chronological pubertar evaluation is made with reference to Tanner stages, and biological evaluation, depending on bone age. Precocious puberty is defined as puberty before the normal age for the population, under 8 years old for girls and under 9 years old for boys. It affects about 4-5% of girls and is about five times more commonly seen in girls than boys. Delayed puberty is defined as no pubertal changes in a girl aged 13 years old or boys aged 14 years old, or failure of progression of puberty over 2 years. It affects about 2% of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]