Some Genetic Problems in Physical Growth and Development — A Longitudinal Study on Children Aged 0-7 Years

Abstract

Aiming at determining the influence of some genetic factors on growth and development, a longitudinal study of 180 children (90 M and 90 F) from the city of Lublin was carried out, with periodical medical examinations and anthropometric measurements from birth to 7 years of age. The parents of each child were also examined. The correlation coefficients between parents and children show that, as regards height, the greatest similarity occurs between mothers and daughters, and a lesser one between fathers and sons. As regards weight, sons are more similar to fathers than daughters to mothers. The relationship between the growth and development of children and the mating type of parents, parental age, and birth order, was also investigated. In negative assortative mating, the children are taller than the children of middle-height parents from positive assortative mating couples. Children (especially daughters) of tall mothers and short fathers grow taller than children of tall fathers and short mothers. Finally, the dependence of growth on parental age and birth order was analysed and the conclusions reached were quite interesting.

Determinants of growth in body length from birth to 6 years of age: A longitudinal study of Lublin children

“…The data are from the Lublin Longitudinal Growth Study which was conducted between 1964(Chrzastek-Spruch, 1968, 1977a,b, 1979a-d, 1984Chrzastek-Spruch and Stachyra, 1986;Chrzastek-Spruch and Wolanski, 1969. The study comprises all children born in the Institute of Pediatrics in Lublin between September 1964 and May 1965, and who were full term and in good health.…”