Growth in childhood Flashcards
what are centile charts used for
used to check that growth patterns are normal by looking at a range of
heights.
what are centile charts based on, what are the axis
based on surveys of large numbers of children with age (x axis)
plotted against height (y axis).
what percentage of children will be shorter than the will be shorter than the 50 th centile
50%
are centile charts a normal range
not a normal range, they are just
a way of looking at where height is compared to others.
in way do centile charts measure height
cumulative height- how tall the child is now (total growth from
conception to now)
what is height velocity
how fast a child is growing in cm per year, usually
calculated over a whole year.
what could give innacurate height reading
The equipment should be accurate and maintained properly
Position the child properly to get an accurate height (read the instructions on the growth chart)
Make sure you get rid of things which interfere with measuring- shoes off, hair out of the way, clothes off to weigh
what can position on a centile chart be affected by
events
before birth, medical issues in childhood, genetic factors and randomness.
in normal growth what should happen to the childs centile
will move to a centile position by 2 to 3 years of a
Normal children grow fast enough to keep on the same centile and movement up or down is
unusual
when is the fastest phase of growth after birth
In the first 2 years of life. Children can move up and down through the centiles at this phase of growth.
when is there another fast growth phase
pubertal growth spurt
The skeleton matures as the child grows, the epiphyses fuse at the end of puberty, and growth stops.
If a child grows slower than normal over a significant period what will happen to their centile
they will fall in their centile
position which is ABNORMAL.
name some causes of centile drop
poor nutrition, chronic disease, endocrine
causes (GH deficiency, thyroid hormone deficiency), genetic disorders affecting bone growth
(achondroplasia, turner’s syndrome, down syndrome), psychological distress and neglect.
what could cause tall stature
syndromes of overgrowth such as
Marfan/ Soto syndrome or GH excess from pituitary tumour.
what is the most important hormonal factor in growth
Growth hormone (GH)
how is GH secretion controlled
Secretion is
controlled by the hypothalamus-
stimulated by GHRH
what is GH inhibited by
somatostatin.
what are the effects of GH
some growth effect itself and stimulates the release of IGF1.
what does IGF1 do
IGF1 stimulates growth in all the tissues of the of the body.
define overweight for adults
BMI >25kg/m2
define obese for adults
BMI >30kg/m2
how is obesity assessed in children
on the BMI centile position
why does obesity occur
occurs due to the balance between energy taken in as food VS energy expenditure
what gene mutation can affect obesity
small number of individuals with a single gene mutation affecting leptin
which
causes excessive appetite and can lead to severe obesity.
what can make and individual more
likely to eat in a way that makes them gain weight.
There are some gene variants in
the population that can affect eating behaviour and appetite,
what are complications of obesity
more likely to get a range of disorders including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, orthopaedic problems
