Etiology of growth failure in a clinic population.
To identify the basis of growth failure, the background of preschool children whose growth fell below 97 per cent of their peers was compared with that of those who demonstrated a higher level of growth achievement. A questionnaire administered at the home of each child documented living conditions, health history, and other family characteristics. Families of the growth-retarded children had higher income, higher credit payments, and used higher dollar values of Food Stamps. A greater percentage of the growth-retarded children were low-birth-weight infants. However, neither low birth weight nor any other one factor consistently predicted poor growth achievement. The need for adequate growth standards to correctly diagnose achievement remains a primary need in the field of nutritional assessment.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D044383:Black People; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002668:Child Rearing; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008824:Michigan; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American