Unit 3 - Part A : Assessing Growth and Maturation

Anthropometry

Study of human growth and body measurement

• basic tool of growth studies

• established as systemic set of techniques for taking measurements

Measuring length and stature in birth - 2yrs (or when can stand individually)

Total body length is measured in supine position = recumbent length

Recumbent Length

will give longer results as the vertebral discs are not fighting gravity but rather being helped

knee height determination

when measurement of stature is based on knee height,

• left knee is bent at 90 degrees and a sliding calliper is placed under heel and over anterior portion of thigh

• take 2+ readings because it has low reliability

Measuring length and stature once standing individually

measurement is taken from floor to vertex (highest point on skull) and is rounded to the nearest 0.1cm

Diurnal Variation

variation of height and weight based on the time of day

Growth in length: 4th prenatal month

growth is at its highest rate of human life cycle

Growth in length: 1 post natal year

increase body length by 50%

Growth in length: 2nd post natal year

> 12cm is generally gained

Growth in length: >2 post natal years - adolescence

stature growth is slow and steady with common growth spurts from 6.5yrs-8.5yrs,

Growth in length: Adolescence

20% of adult stature is gained

• girls start at ~10 (8cm/yr) and hit 98% height by ~16.5yrs

• Boys start at ~12 (10cm/yr) and hit 98% height by ~18

• growth during this stage occurs predominately in trunk

Growth in length: Final stages

last 2% of height is gained before 20th birthday

• height is stable over ~15 years and after 40 height begins to decrease from intervertebral disc degeneration

  • can result in abnormal spinal curvature

Distance Curve

Used to plot accumulative growth over time

• steepness of curve = rate of growth

• graph compares the individual to themselves

• Infection point

Infection Point

observable transition from slower ↔︎ faster growth

Norm Referenced Data graphs

compares individuals data to norm referenced data to determine if individual is growing normally

• represents typical high and weight of 100s of children and adolescents and is plotted and ranked based on percentiles

• has high cultural biases

Velocity curve

Used to plot rate of growth or change in growth

• rapid growth = high point on velocity curve

• to create

  • take growth gained between 2 time intervals of distance curve and graph it

Size-motor development relationship

• thin, muscular, small boned babies tend to walk sooner

• “overweight babies” were 1.8x more likely to be delayed in motor development

• “tummy time” increases motor skill scores

• rate of growth can contribute to adolescent awkwardness

  • rapid growth is temporarily accompanied by disruption in motor performance

body weight

• fat weight (adipose tissue)

• fat free/lean body weight (bone, muscle, tissues, organs)

Fat measurement methods

• Underwater weighing

• Potassium 40

• Skin fold thickness

• circumference

Underwater weighing

based on the principle that muscle weighs more than fat, when comparing on land BW to underwater BW an individual with more lean mass will have relatively comparable weights in water and on land

Potassium 40

potassium 40 represents lean body mass

• this whole body counter measures amount of potassium 40 radiation levels emitted from body

• ↑ K 40 levels = ↑ lean body mass

Skinfold thickness

• measured with skinfold caliper that measures amount of fat beneath skin surface (↑ relationship between subcutaneous fat and fat within body)

• easy and cheep but inaccurate

Circumference

assesses cross-sectional size

to ascertain growth and fat patterns and nutritional status of people

Breadth

used to determine growth and physique

• use a breadth caliper, sliding caliper or blade anthropometer

• Biacromial width

• Bicristal (biiliac) width

Biacromial Width

distance between outside edges of acromion processes of the shoulders

Bicristal (biiliac) width

width of pelvic girdle

Measuring ratios and proportions

• weight for stature

• sitting height to stature

• bicristal/biacromial breadths

weight for stature

• BW in relation to height

• ie: BMI

• weight (kgs)/2(stature)[cm]

Sitting height to stature

determines contribution of legs and trunk to total height

• sitting height x100/stature

Bicristal/Biacromial Breadths

measuring breadth of hips to shoulders (observe significant gender differences)

• biacromial (shoulders) breadth x100/biiliac (hips) breadth