Growth, measuring

Abstract

Infant body length is usually determined in supine position by infantometer, body height is determined in standing position by stadiometer, or freely standing by anthropometer. Body proportions are commonly assessed by sitting height, leg length, arm span, and should also include an estimate of skeletal shape. Assessing developmental tempo can be done by skeletal maturity, state of pubertal maturity, and multiple records of height standard deviation score (SDS). Cross‐sectional data on height, weight, circumferences, and signs of maturity can be used as a reference to compare an individual's height and growth pattern with their peer group. Longitudinal data are serial data of the same individual. The measurement of growth at short intervals (short‐term growth) either requires measurements at high accuracy (e.g. knemometry), or very frequent measurements. Very frequent (daily) home‐made measurements can be obtained by nonprofessional personnel, even by parents, and are ideal for determining growth patterns under field conditions.