Abstract
The biological and environmental variables associated with non-organic short stature were examined in an unselected population of short school entrants. Of 14,346 5yr olds screened, 140 short (S), apparently normal children, < 3rd centile for height were identified and matched with 140 controls (C), 10th-90th centile. Mean birth weight of the two groups was significantly different (S 2845gm, C 3345gm, p<.001). A significant difference in mean mid-parental height (S 162.0cm, C 170.9cm, p<.001) was found suggesting that stature may be largely genetic. However, the importance of environmental factors was indicated by the large number of short children inappropriately small for parents. The discrepancy between height SD score at 5yrs and mid-parental height SD score was significantly greater in short children (S −1.18, C −0.23 p<.001). Skeletal maturation in many short children was delayed, but did not explain the discrepancy. Taking bone age into account, the predicted adult height of 68% of the short children still lay below target height and 10% were outside the normal range. Significantly more short children were in social classes IV and V (S 31%, C 13%, p<.001) and had unemployed fathers (S 24%, C 9%, p<.001). There was a high prevalence of asthma (S 16%, C 8%, p<.001) and eczema (S 18%, C 5%, p<,001). One in four short children was also judged to be psychosocially deprived. We conclude that biological variables are often insufficient to explain short stature: no child should be dismissed as normal without careful evaluation. Poor growth in any child may be an important pointer to an adverse but potentially remediable environment.
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Voss, L., Mulligan, J. SHORT NORMAL STATURE - NATURE OR NURTURE? (THE WESSEX GROWTH STUDY). Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S57 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00322
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00322