[Growth in school children of Villa IAPI (Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina)].

Growth in schoolchildren of Villa IAPI--a poor neighborhood placed near Buenos Aires (Argentina)--were cross-sectionally studied. Six hundred and forty five--291 males and 354 females--children from six to twelve years old were weighed (W), and the standing (StH) and sitting (SiH) heights, the head (HC) and the arm (AC) circumferences, and the triceps (TS) an the subscapular (SS) skinfolds were measured. The muscular braquial circumference (MC), and the length of the inferior segment of the body (IS) were also calculated. All of the measurements were transformed to "z" scores. It was observed that in all cases--except for 11 year-old females--both W and StH were diminished. This trend was stronger in males than in females. Both SiH an HC did not show differences with respect to local growth standards. Skinfold values however, were always greater in Villa IAPI children--except SS in 9 to 12 year-old males, and in 12 year-old females--than those of normal standards, Such differential growth pattern suggests that two joined strategies--for protection and adaption to unbalanced environment--actually acted in the Villa IAPI population.