Secular changes in growth and maturation in recent decades have been reviewed for various populations. The secular increase in attained height during the growth period is continuing in most countries, but has slowed down. The increase in adult stature over the past decades has varied between 0.3 and 3.0 cm/decade. The secular trend in the tempo of growth (earlier menarche and peak height velocity, and shortening of the growth cycle) has come to a halt in some populations, but is continuing or has been reversed in others. The secular trend in attained height and in the tempo of growth is usually more pronounced in children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, in those with poorly educated parents or in those from rural areas. It is concluded that updates of growth standards are required in all populations. More marked secular changes appear to occur in the lower height centiles, which may have direct implications on the future definition of ‘short stature’ in a population. □ Secular trend, adult stature, growth, menarche, tempo of growth

Secular changes in growth have occurred in almost all industrialized countries during the last century. Almost all of the secular increase seen in adult height occurs during childhood. These changes can be considered to be indicators of the changes in the nutritional, hygienic and health status of a population. The secular trend in adult height has slowed down since the second world war, but is still continuing in most industrialized countries.

Study has been made of 37 anthropometric measurements in a socially selected sample of 125 Belgian families, comprising parents and adult children. The parent-child and mid-parent-child correlation coefficients indicate that the extent of genetic determination varies considerably from one measurement to another, being greatest in the longitudinal body measurements, least in the circumferences involving soft tissues and in measures of the nose and mouth. Further analysis of the intrafamilial correlation, and variance analysis by the method of Fisher and Gray (1937), shows that neither dominant nor X-linked loci exert any appreciable effects.

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