No evidence for saltation in human growth.

Abstract

Recently a new model of human growth has been presented suggesting alternating periods of stasis (mean 24.5 days in the case of weekly measurements) and short saltatory increments of body height between 5 and 25 mm that had been detected between subsequent weekly or semi-weekly height measurements, i.e. within single weekly or semi-weekly intervals. The present study was undertaken to re-investigate and, if possible, to confirm this model. Body height was measured by stadiometer in 32 healthy pre-school and school age children, at weekly or semi-weekly intervals for periods between 4 and 8 months. Though the authors found evidence for an accumulation of weekly and semi-weekly height differences that suggested periods of no growth (stasis), there was no evidence for saltatory increments either in the 850 weekly or in the 746 semi-weekly body height differences.