title: Growth in the first four years: II. Diversity within groups of small-for-dates and large-for-dates babies.
abstract: 238 small-for-dates (SFD), 246 average-for-dates (AFD) and 241 large-for-dates (LFD) infants were personally examined at birth, and measured thereafter in their own homes at the ages of 2, 6, 12 and 18 months, 2, 3 and 4 years. At each age weight, length or height, and head circumference measures in the SFD and LFD groups were distributed around the appropriate sex AFD mean values. In both extreme groups major shifts towards the mean occurred in the first six months for all three measures. From one year onwards only small within group fluctuations were seen. Correlations between one and four year values for weight, height and head circumference were high. At four years about 50% SFD children were within 1 S.D. of the mean, and 10% were still very small. Slightly more LFD children (55-60%) were near to the mean at this age, particularly for their head circumference values (70%), and only about 8% LFD children had very large heads. Trajectories of individual SFD and LFD children illustrate the great diversity of growth patterns within and between groups.
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002508:Cephalometry; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors