Paediatric Anthropometry:A Longitudinal Study of 0-3 Years of Male and Female Children

Growth is a continuous process commencing at conception and progressing at a varying pace till its completion about 2 decades later, with closure of epiphysis. The process of ‘Growth’ is accompanied with increase in body size and or mass at varying rates. It is multi factorial and complex, still remarkably predictable. Boys and girls grow differently and each child has his or her distinct growth pattern.

To study growth pattern of male and female infants, a longitudinal study, a total 320 Jat Sikh and Bania infants (Male 160; Female 160), aged birth-36 months were taken. Body weight and length of all children measured at birth and where after, at quarterly age intervals with time tolerance to ±5 days by the same investigator up to 24 months of life & then half yearly till 36 months.Comparing the data of males & females it was observed that males of both groups were taller than their females counterparts. Inter group comparison showed that the difference for weight between Jat sikh & Bania male were highly significant (p< 0.001) from birth to 18th month whereas no significant difference were found in females of both groups. Jat sikh males & females had comparatively higher value of height than Baina males & females. The children of the present study are heavier when compared to their counterparts in other states of India.