Growth in Childhood Flashcards
What do centile charts measure?
THe measure total cumulative growth from conception to now. They plot age (x) against height (Y)
They are not normal ranges.
What is height velocity?
How fast a child is growing usually calculated over a year.
What would indicate abnormal growth patterns?
Moving up or down multiple centiles.
What can cause a child to fall off a centile?
poor nutrition, chronic disease, endocrine disorders (eg GH deficency, hypothyroid) genetic disorders (eg turners, downs and anchondroplasia), psychological stress and neglect.
What can cause a child to go up centiles?
Marfans syndrome, soto syndrome or gigantism (excess GH).
What hormone axis increases growth?
GHRH–> GH–> IGF1 (GH has some growth stimulating effects directly but mainly IGF1)
What inhibits this growth hormone axis?
Somatostatin.
How is obesity assessed in children?
On the BMI centile chart
What are the BMI parameters for obesity in adults?
> 25kg/m2 overweight and >30kg/m2 obese and >40kg/m2 morbidly obese.
What are the genetics of obesity?
Mainly very polygenic effecting eating behaviours rather than a general predisposition.
Exception is leptin deficiency caused by a SNP which causes excessive appetite.
What are the general stages of growth?
Antenatal (most rapid)
Infancy (initially rapid and very nutrition dependent)
Childhood (male and female equal and less nutritional dependence)
Puberty (sex hormone and GH dependent)
Adolescence ( epiphyses fuse and cessation of growth, spine and pelvis last)
