title: Postural assessment of girls between 7 and 10 years of age.
abstract: Postural alterations are often found in children and teenagers. In this stage of development, the posture undergoes many adjustments and adaptations due to changes of the body and to demanding psychosocial factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify which postural alterations occur most often in students between 7 and 10 years of age, to identify preventive measures, and to provide information to parents and teachers about the problem of bad posture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty three girls in each of 4 age groups between 7 and 10 years of age were assessed, resulting in a sample of 132 subjects. Photos of each girl in the sagittal and frontal planes were examined for postural deviations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main postural deviations found were knock-knee, medial rotation of the hip, antepulsion, pelvic anteversion, knee hyperextension, lumbar hyperlordosis, valgus ankle, imbalanced shoulders, lateral pelvic inclination, scoliosis, trunk rotation, thoracic hyperkyphosis, winged scapula, shoulder protraction, abducted scapula, medial rotation of shoulders, and head tilt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High incidences of postural alterations occur in children of school age. Some of these reflect normal postural development, and get corrected during the child's growth. On the other hand, some alterations are asymmetries that can be caused by daily demands on the body and can result in negative impacts on the quality of life during childhood and adulthood. We emphasize the importance of providing information to parents and teachers about the problem of bad posture.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy, Audiology, and Occupational Therapy and the Pediatric Department, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Jundi
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Penha
authors.forename: Sílvia Maria Amado
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: João
authors.forename: Raquel Aparecida
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Casarotto
authors.forename: Carlos Junichiro
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Amino
authors.forename: Daniela Caielli
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Penteado
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010781:Photography; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013663:Teaching