Monthly changes in the gain and loss of growth in weight of children living in Guatemala.
Monthly increments of weight growth for a sample of 246 Guatemala City private school children are analyzed for the presence of a seasonal pattern in rates of growth. Neither a seasonal pattern nor any other periodic rhythm is found. It is observed that a significantly greater number of children aged 5.0 to 6.9 years experience their minimum annual growth rate during the dry season, with up to 60% of them losing or not gaining weight in any one month. Patterns of diet, exercise and disease cannot explain this trend. A possible association between minimum weight growth and maximum growth in height is discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006166:Guatemala; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors