Growth instability of French-Canadian children during the first three years of life.

The stability of linear growth for a longitudinal sample of 186 French-Canadian children, between birth and three years of age, is evaluated. Correlations between birth length and subsequent lengths/height are poor, but double by one year of age. Over seventy-five percent of the children shift one or more centiles during the first year. Shifting during the second and third years includes 54.8% and 43.0% of the sample, respectively. Growth instability is related to the disparity between birth length and the individual's genetically determined growth rate. Birth size is associated with maternal size; parent-child correlations increase rapidly from birth to two years of age. Children showing catch-up of two or more centiles during the first year are smaller at birth and have larger parents. Larger infants born to smaller parents tend to lag-down through the centiles.

Growth instability of French-Canadian children during the first three years of life. Academic Article