Growth In Girls Research Articles

Ontogenetic study of the scapula among some Egyptians: Forensic implications in age and sex estimation using Multidetector Computed Tomography

IntroductionIdentification is one of the challenging aspects of forensic sciences. Despite the numerous anthropological researches on the scapula, there is a notable lack of information concerning the scapular growth. Aim of the workAim of the work was to analyze the growth of the scapula by means of thirteen measurements commonly used for assessment among a sample of young aged Egyptian population, in order to evaluate their significance and capacity for age and sex determination during bone development using reconstructed CT images. Subjects and methodsThe study was conducted on 162 Egyptian patients (83 males and 79 females), ranging from birth to 25years of age, referred to the Radiodiagnosis and Intervention Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University for Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) of the chest. Thirteen measurements were selected on the scapula and were subjected to statistical analysis. ResultsA significant positive correlation was detected between the measured scapular variables and the age. Significant sexual dimorphism was identified in four of the scapular measurements in the youngest age group. However, significant differences between the sexes appeared after the cessation of growth in girls, where a large number of variables (the scapular length, breadth, maximum length of the spine, supra and infra scapular height, maximum length of the glenoid mass, thickness of the lateral border, as well as the glenoid, supra-infrascapular indices) were sexually dimorphic. ConclusionsThe results achieved from the current study are useful tools in the diagnosis of age and sex in both forensic and bio-archeological identification procedures; however, further studies are strongly suggested.

Comparison of craniofacial growth of untreated Class I and Class II girls from ages 9 to 18 years: A longitudinal study

The purposes of this study were to examine and compare the craniofacial growth in girls with Class I or Class II occlusion from the ages of 9 to 18. Twenty-five Class I (ANB, 1°-4°) and 21 Class II (ANB, >4°) untreated Caucasian girls were selected from the Burlington Growth Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Cephalograms of each subject at ages 9, 14, and 18 years were traced, and 29 parameters were measured. The growth changes in each parameter from ages 9 to 14, 14 to 18, and 9 to 18 were calculated, and comparisons of each parameter were made between the 2 groups. From ages 9 to 14, the Class I and Class II groups had similar skeletal growth patterns (increases of SNA and SNB angles, decreases of ANB, MP-SN, and gonial angles). Dentally, the Class II group showed less maxillary incisal proclination and more overbite than did the Class I group. From ages 14 to 18, the 2 groups also showed similar growth patterns, with little sagittal but continued vertical growth, and the MP-SN angle continued to decrease. From ages 9 to 18 (combined periods of 9-14 and 14-18), the 2 groups showed similar skeletal growth, with the exception of a slightly higher ANS-ME/N-Me in the Class I group. Dental changes were similar in the 2 groups, except that overbite increased slightly more in the Class II group. Overall, the craniofacial growth patterns of Class I and Class II girls were similar. With growth, the face became more flattened with a decrease of the ANB angle, and the mandible demonstrated forward rotation with decreases of the MP-SN and gonial angles, and an increase of PFH:AFH.

Effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy on body mass index and growth in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty.

Objective:The study aimed to assess the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy on body mass index (BMI) and growth in girls diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP).Materials and Methods:Hospital records of 32 girls with idiopathic CPP who have been receiving GnRH agonist therapy for at least 12 months were retrospectively reviewed and auxological, clinical and laboratory parameters of the patients were recorded. BMI, body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS) for chronological age body mass index standard deviation score (CA-BMI SDS), BMI SDS for bone age body mass index standard deviation score (BA-BMI SDS), ratios of obesity and overweight were assessed before treatment and on the 12th month of therapy in patients diagnosed with idiopathic CPP.Results:The study comprised of 32 girls diagnosed with idiopathic CPP. BMI values showed statistically significant increase in the 1st year of treatment (19.16 ± 2.8 vs. 20.7 ± 3.4, P = 0.001). Despite a mild increase in CA-BMI SDS in the 1st year of treatment versus before treatment, it was no statistically significant (1.0 ± 0.8 vs. 1.1 ± 0.9, P = 0.061). However, significant increase was observed in BA-BMI SDS in the 1st year of treatment versus before treatment (0.8 ± 0.7 vs. 0.4 ± 0.8, P < 0.001). Before treatment, 37.5% (12/32) of the patients were overweight and 21.9% (5/32) were obese, whereas in the 1st year, 34.4% (11/32) of the patients were overweight and 31.3% were obese (P = 0.001).Conclusion:Whilst 1/3 of the cases diagnosed with idiopathic CPP were overweight and obese at the time of diagnosis, GnRH agonist therapy caused statistically significant weight gain in patients diagnosed with CPP. Therefore, these patients should be closely monitored and weight control should be provided by diet and exercise programs in the course of treatment.

English

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical period of biological, psychological and social changes, as achievement of optimum growth in girls is considered utmost, improving future health. Early and convenient method of assessing nutritional status and socioeconomic status of growing children is anthropometry. Body mass index (BMI) is a widely used parameter. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1) To study some socio-demographic characteristics of non-slum and slum adolescent girls of Urban Health Center, Dr. V. M. Medical College, Solapur. 2) To compare the Body Mass Indices of the same respondents. SETTING & DESIGN: This study was done at Urban Health Center; Solapur. It was a community based cross-sectional study done involving 246 adolescent girls (116 non-slums and 130 slums). METHODOLOGY: By doing house to house survey, the girls were interviewed with the help of predesigned, pretested questionnaire. Their socio demographic information was collected. Body mass index was calculated by using height and weight and compared with CDC 2000 standards (U.S.). Statistical tests-chi square test, Z-test, t test. RESULTS: There was significant difference between the socioeconomic status, literacy of non-slum and slum girls. Majority of the girls i.e. 78.45% were giving BMI in normal range i.e. 5th to 85th percentiles of CDC 2000 standards (U.S.). The number of girls with (BMI<5th percentile) was significantly more in slum girls as compared to non-slum adolescent girls. CONCLUSION: Overweight was not the problem in study population. About 8.6% non-slum and 21.54% girls were having BMI below 3rd percentile of the CDC 2000 standards (U.S.). Growth monitoring; Nutritional supplementation should be given to adolescent girls to prevent nutritional deficiencies, especially in slum area.

Iron status and linear growth: a prospective study in school-age children

Studies regarding the role of iron on linear growth have yielded heterogeneous results. Some trials indicate that iron supplementation of iron-replete infants leads to slower-length gain. However, little is known of the relation between iron status and linear growth in school-age children. We quantified plasma ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and hemoglobin in 2714 children aged 5-12 years at recruitment into a cohort study. Height was measured periodically for a median of 30 months. Height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) were calculated using the World Health Organization growth reference. Mixed effects models with restricted cubic splines were used to construct population HAZ-for-age growth curves for sex- and age-specific quartiles of each iron status indicator. Ferritin and MCV were each inversely related to attained HAZ among boys after the adjustment for baseline age, baseline body mass index-for-age Z-score and socioeconomic status. There was a decreasing monotonic relation between quartiles of ferritin and estimated change in HAZ from ages 6 to 14 years (P trend=0.001); boys in the 4th quartile experienced a HAZ change that was 0.46 Z lower than that of boys in the 1st quartile (P=0.0006). Similarly, we observed smaller HAZ change among boys in the highest quartile of MCV in comparison with those in the 1st quartile (P trend=0.001). Hemoglobin was not related to linear growth in boys. None of the iron-status indicators were associated with linear growth in girls. Higher iron status, as indicated by ferritin and MCV, is related to slower linear growth in iron-replete school-age boys.

Estradiol and Pubertal Growth in Girls

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine estradiol levels and assess their relationship to pubertal growth in girls. Methods: Thirty-seven 24-hour profiles of serum 17β-estradiol were retrospectively analyzed in relation to growth in 27 healthy girls admitted for short/tall stature (n = 20) or recruited as healthy volunteers at Göteborg Pediatric Growth Research Center (GP-GRC). Inclusion Criteria: Birth weight and length above –2 SDS, gestational age 37–42 weeks, prepubertal height and weight within ±3 SDS and normal growth hormone secretion. Serum estradiol was determined by a validated ultrasensitive extraction radioimmunoassay (detection limit 4 pmol/l). A sixth-grade polynomial was fitted to each girl’s growth data. Growth velocity and age at peak height velocity (PHV) was calculated. Results: A dose-response model was used to find the morning 17β-estradiol level at which half of the maximal pubertal growth up to PHV had occurred, EC₅₀, which was 20 pmol/l with a 95% confidence interval of 13–31. When 17β-estradiol exceeds early pubertal levels (Tanner breast stage 2, 10–51 pmol/l), less than 25% of the potential pubertal growth velocity up to PHV remains. Conclusions: Morning 17β-estradiol in the low early pubertal range (13–31 pmol/l) is associated with increasing growth velocity.

The growth of Portuguese and Cape Verdean infants aged 0–1 year living in Greater Lisbon, Portugal in 1993–1996

Aim: To document the growth of Portuguese and Cape Verdean infants living in Greater Lisbon, Portugal according to the WHO 2006 Growth Standard.Subjects and methods: Mixed effects models were applied to serial weight, length, BMI, head circumference and triceps and subscapular skin-fold thickness data from 263 infants (134 Portuguese, 129 Cape Verdean) aged 0.01–1.08 years. Models tested systematic differences between ethnic groups. Individual monthly estimates were converted to Z-scores and plotted.Results: There was no significant difference in growth curves between ethnic groups, except for subscapular skin-fold growth in girls; at 1 year of age Cape Verdeans had a 1 mm advantage. Despite growth in BMI against the WHO standard being characterized by apparent accelerated growth and final Z-scores close to the 75th centile, triceps Z-scores were consistently low and subscapular Z-scores roughly approximated the 50th centile after age 7 months.Conclusion: Cape Verdean infants may develop higher levels of adiposity than Portuguese infants for the same BMI, a phenomenon common in children from developing nations. Because infants had high BMI but low skin-fold values against the WHO standard, research is needed to understand how change over age in BMI according to the WHO standard reflects changes in body composition.

Prevalence of short stature in Saudi children and adolescents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Data on stature in Saudi children and adolescents are limited. The objective of this report was to establish the national prevalence of short stature in Saudi children and adolescents.DESIGN AND SETTING:Community-based, cross-sectional study conducted over 2 years (2004, 2005)PATIENTS AND METHODS:The national data set of the Saudi reference was used to calculate the stature for age for children and adolescents 5 to 18 years of age. Using the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) reference, the prevalence of moderate and severe short stature was defined as the proportion of children whose standard deviation score for stature for age was less than -2 and -3, respectively. In addition, the 2000 Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the older 1978 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/WHO references were used for comparison.RESULTS:Using the 2007 WHO reference, sample size in the Saudi reference was 19 372 healthy children and adolescents 5 to 17 years of age, with 50.8% being boys. The overall prevalence of moderate and severe short stature in boys was 11.3% and 1.8%, respectively; and in girls, 10.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate short stature was 12.1%, 11% and 11.3% in boys and 10.9%, 11.3% and 10.5% in girls when the 1978 WHO, the 2000 CDC and the 2007 WHO references were used, respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The national prevalence of short stature in Saudi children and adolescents is intermediate compared with the international level. Improvement in the socioeconomic and health status of children and adolescents should lead to a reduction in the prevalence of short stature.

Adult Height in Girls with Delayed Pubertal Growth

Background/Aims: Boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) with early reduction in relative height before the onset of puberty will have adult height (AH) clearly below their target height (TH). Characteristics of growth in girls with CDGP are poorly known. We examined whether girls with CDGP attain their TH and whether early reduction in height SDS influences their AH. We also investigated effects of low-dose estrogen on AH. Methods: We investigated growth of 39 women (7 treated with low-dose estrogen) with CDGP history. We compared AH between estrogen-treated and untreated subjects, and used multiple linear regression to investigate the influence of various growth characteristics, e.g. height SDS changes between different ages in childhood, on AH. Results: AH was similar in estrogen-treated and untreated subjects. Reduction of height SDS between 3 and 8 years was significantly associated with the difference between AH and TH (regression coefficient 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.1–1.5). Overall, 49% of subjects had AH >0.50 SDS below TH. Conclusion: A proportion of CDGP girls do not attain AH consistent with their TH. Reduction in height SDS in childhood predicts smaller AH. Low-dose estrogen treatment does not seem to influence AH in girls with CDGP.

Catch-up growth in girls born small for gestational age precedes childhood progression to high adiposity

To study across childhood the features of small for gestational age (SGA) girls with spontaneous catch-up growth. Longitudinal study (age 2-8 years). University hospital. Post-catch-up SGA girls (n = 18) versus healthy control girls born appropriate for gestational age (AGA; n = 13). None. Height, weight, fasting glucose, insulin, IGF-I, high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body composition by absorptiometry (2-8 years); visceral fat by magnetic resonance imaging (6-8 years); bone age (by automated reading), sex hormone-binding globulin, DHEAS, and leptin (8 years). At age 2 years, AGA and SGA girls were comparable for all study markers. Between 2 and 8 years, girls were prepubertal; AGA and SGA girls gained height, lean mass, and bone mineral content similarly; other outcomes diverged so that, at age 8, SGA girls had markedly higher levels of circulating insulin, IGF-I, DHEAS, LDL cholesterol, and leptin; lower HMW adiponectin and SHBG levels; more total and visceral fat (without being obese); and an older bone age. After completing catch-up growth and before starting puberty, SGA girls develop an ensemble that includes not only central adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and hypoadiponectinemia but also hyperleptinemia, dyslipidemia, lower SHBG and higher DHEAS levels, and faster bone maturation.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Indicators of Increased Adiposity in School-age Children: A Prospective Study

PP-31-203 Background/Aims: Cross-sectional studies indicate that vitamin D serostatus is inversely associated with adiposity. It is unknown whether vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for the development of adiposity in children. We investigated the associations between vitamin D serostatus and changes in body mass index, skinfold ratio (subscapular/triceps), waist circumference, and height in a longitudinal study of children from Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: We quantified plasma 25 (OH) vitamin D (25 (OH)D) in baseline samples of a randomly selected group of 479 children aged 5–12 years and classified vitamin D status as deficient (25 (OH)D <50 nmol/L), insufficient (25 (OH)D ≥50 and <75 nmol/L), or sufficient (25 (OH)D ≥75 nmol/L). We measured anthropometry annually for a median 30 months. We estimated average change in each anthropometric indicator according to baseline vitamin D status using multivariate mixed linear regression models. Results: Vitamin D-deficient children had an adjusted 0.1 kg/m2/yr greater change in body mass index compared with vitamin D-sufficient children (P for trend = 0.05). Similarly, vitamin D-deficient children had a 0.03/yr (95% CI: 0.01, 0.05) greater change in subscapular-to-triceps skinfold ratio and a 0.9 cm/yr (95% CI: 0.1, 1.6) greater change in waist circumference compared with vitamin D-sufficient children. Finally, vitamin D serostatus was positively associated with attained height in girls; vitamin D-deficient girls grew an estimated 0.6 cm/yr less than their vitamin D-sufficient counterparts (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Vitamin D serostatus was inversely associated with the development of adiposity in school-age children and positively associated with linear growth in girls.

Prediction of 1 Year Growth in Girls with Precocious Puberty with GnRH Agonist Treatment by Measurement of Growth Velocity at 3 Months after Treatment

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of growth velocity at 3 months after gonadotropin- releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist treatment as a predictive value of 1 year growth velocity after treatment in girls with precocious puberty. Methods: We studied 30 Korean girls with precocious puberty whose chronologic and bone age were less than 9 years and 11 years old, respectively at diagnosis. They treated with a 4 week interval GnRH agonist subcutaneous injections for at least more than 1 year. The patients who were treated with growth hormone simultaneously exclu- ded for this study. Data were collected from chart review retrospectively. We measured heights and calculated growth velocities of the subjects at 3 months and 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment. Results: The mean chronologic age and bone age of the subjects were 8.3 ± 0.8 year and 10.4 ± 0.6 years, respec- tively. The growth velocity at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment were 7.1 ± 2.6, 6.6 ± 2.1, 5.7 ± 1.3 and 5.8 ± 0.9 cm/yr, respectively. The positive correlation between the growth velocity at 3 months and 6 months, 9 months, 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment were shown(P ˂ 0.001, P ˂ 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: In this study, the growth velocity at 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment may be predicted by the growth velocity at 3 months after treatment. The patient whose growth velocity at 3 months after GnRH agnoist treatment was low would be needed to observe the growth pattern carefully and to consider combined growth hormone treatment, if needed. It may be deserve further studies to improve final height in patients with central precocious puberty in various conditions. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol 2011;16:80-85)

Vitamin D deficiency and anthropometric indicators of adiposity in school-age children: a prospective study

Cross-sectional studies have indicated that vitamin D serostatus is inversely associated with adiposity. It is unknown whether vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for the development of adiposity in children. We investigated the associations between vitamin D serostatus and changes in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²), skinfold-thickness ratio (subscapular-to-triceps), waist circumference, and height in a longitudinal study in children from Bogota, Colombia. We quantified plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in baseline samples of a randomly selected group of 479 schoolchildren aged 5-12 y and classified vitamin D status as deficient [25(OH)D concentrations < 50 nmol/L], insufficient [25(OH)D concentrations ≥ 50 and < 75 nmol/L], or sufficient [25(OH)D concentrations ≥ 75 nmol/L]. We measured anthropometric variables annually for a median of 30 mo. We estimated the average change in each anthropometric indicator according to baseline vitamin D status by using multivariate mixed linear regression models. Vitamin D-deficient children had an adjusted 0.1/y greater change in BMI than did vitamin D-sufficient children (P for trend = 0.05). Similarly, vitamin D-deficient children had a 0.03/y (95% CI: 0.01, 0.05/y) greater change in subscapular-to-triceps skinfold-thickness ratio and a 0.8 cm/y (95% CI: 0.1, 1.6 cm/y) greater change in waist circumference than did vitamin D-sufficient children. Vitamin D deficiency was related to slower linear growth in girls (-0.6 cm/y, P = 0.04) but not in boys (0.3 cm/y, P = 0.34); however, an interaction with sex was not statistically significant. Vitamin D serostatus was inversely associated with the development of adiposity in school-age children.

Diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis vaccine administered simultaneously with measles vaccine is associated with increased morbidity and poor growth in girls. A randomised trial from Guinea-Bissau

Background Combined vaccination with diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) and measles vaccine (MV) has been associated with increased mortality in observational studies. Among children missing MV and a dose of DTP and oral polio vaccine (OPV), we conducted a randomised trial of providing MV + DTP + OPV simultaneously, as currently recommended, or MV + OPV only, and examined the effect on morbidity and growth. We hypothesised that the MV + OPV group would experience less morbidity and grow better. Due to previous observations of sex differences in the non-specific effects of vaccinations, we analysed all data stratified by sex. Methods At the Bandim Health Project in Guinea-Bissau, 568 children who were due to receive MV and who were missing either DTP3 or DTP booster were enrolled in the study. A subgroup of 332 children was followed intensively to register adverse events and infections in the first month after vaccination. A subgroup of 276 children was followed every third month for a year to monitor growth. All children were followed for one year for infectious diseases, consultations, and hospitalisations. Results As expected, adverse events were more common in the MV + DTP + OPV group; diarrhoea and use of medication were increased among girls but not among boys (both p = 0.02, test of interaction between DTP and sex). Febrile disease with vesicular rash, as well as consultations and hospitalisations tended to be more common in the MV + DTP + OPV group than in the MV + OPV group; the hazard ratio (HR) for febrile disease with vesicular rash was 1.86 (1.00; 3.47). The strongest tendencies for more febrile diseases and hospitalisations in the MV + DTP + OPV group were found in girls. Overall, growth did not differ by randomisation group. However, results differed by sex. Girls in the MV + DTP + OPV group had a consistent pattern of worse z-scores for weight, height, and mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) than girls in the MV + OPV group. The effect was opposite for boys, with boys in the MV + OPV group faring worse than those in the MV + DTP + OPV group, the interaction test for sex and DTP being significant for weight at 6 and 9 months, for MUAC at 12 months and for weight-for-height at 3 and 9 months after randomisation. Conclusion This is the first randomised trial of the non-specific effects of DTP and supports that these effects may be sex-differential and of clinical and anthropometric importance. Combined vaccination with DTP + MV + OPV may be detrimental for girls.

Experience with the use of domestic somatotropin Rastan for the treatment of children with Turner syndrome

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of the treatment of girls presenting with Turner syndrome by recombinant growth hormone Rastan (Farmstandart-UfaVITA). A total 29 girls in this condition were available for observation. Their chronological age at the time of diagnosis averaged 7.9±1.2 years at the time of diagnosis and 9.8±1.6 at the onset of therapy; the bone age was 7.5±1.1 years. Duration of the treatment was 24 months. Recombinant somatotropin was used in the form of lyophilisate (1.33 mg) to prepare a solution for subcutaneous injections at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg of body weight. The solution was administered daily at evening hours. The mean growth rate of the patients with Turner syndrome was estimated at 4.2±0.6 cm/year prior to Rastan therapy, 8.7±0.6 cm/year during the first 12 months of the treatment, and 6.1±1.2 cm/yr in the second year. Overall, the height of the girls increased by 0.84 SD within the two years. No adverse effects of therapy were documented. It is concluded that the use of recombinant somatotropin Rastan is an efficacious and safe therapeutic modality for the acceleration of growth in girls with Turner syndrome.

Height at menarche is influenced by estrogen receptor α gene polymorphisms

It has been suggested that polymorphic variations in estrogen receptors (ERs) genes may have an impact on linear growth of girls during puberty. The aim of the study was to investigate whether height at menarche is influenced by PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of the ERalpha gene. The study population consisted of 127 healthy girls, who were observed from premenarcheal period at six monthly intervals, until menarche occurred in all participants. Anthropometric measurements were taken at each visit and their values at menarche were calculated using centile curves drawn individually for each subject. PvuII and XbaI ERalpha gene polymorphisms were evaluated with RLFP-PCR. The age at menarche was not related to ERalpha gene polymorphisms. Girls with pp genotype were at menarche on average 3.2 cm shorter than PP homozygotes and in addition xx homozygotes were shorter than subjects with XX and Xx genotypes: 3.0 cm and 3.9 cm respectively. Subjects with px haplotype were, at the onset of the first menstrual period, from 2.3 cm to 3.1 cm shorter than carriers of other haplotypes. The leg length-to-height ratio at menarche was lower in xx homozygotes than in Xx heterozygotes and lower in px haplotype in comparison to Px and pX haplotypes carriers. Corresponding associations were observed at the final visit. Height at menarche is influenced by the ERalpha gene polymorphism.

Girlhood in Action: Contemporary U.S. Girls’ Organizations and the Public Sphere

This article addresses the growing concern with youth civic engagement by asking how contemporary U.S. girls' organizations envision girls' civic identities. Recent years have seen the growth of girls' organizations that aim to involve girls in their communities. Based on extensive document research and two ethnographic case studies, my analysis distinguishes between this emergent transformative approach and a more widespread, normative model. Transformative organizations engage girls in a sociological analysis of the conditions of their lives, believe that girls should have public authority, and encourage girls' involvement in social change projects. Normative organizations rely upon a psychological understanding of girls' problems, imagine the public as a space of threat and as being full of barriers girls that must learn to overcome, and emphasize service over political action. By comparing these two approaches, this article suggests that scholars and practitioners should carefully consider the implications of organizations for girls' relationship to the public sphere.

Changes in Components of Body Mass and Their Relation During Period of Growth in Girls from Smolyan Region, Bulgaria (Anthropometric Study)

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate the development of body mass components and their relations in the period of growth of girls. In the present work we study the development and variability of body mass components and their relation during the growth period of the girls.The sample included 768 girls from region of Smolyan, aged 7–17, and measured in period 1998–2010. By Martin-Saller's method of each person two total body measurements, eight skinfold, four circumferences and four epicondilar diameters of lower and upper limbs were measured. For characteristics of the fat development of each person by means of GPM caliper with constant pressure of 10g/mm2 eight skinfolds were measured. Using formula body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was calculated. The all observed persons have normal physical development and body nutritional status. The body nutritional status of each persons were defined using of International cut—off points of BMI, created by Cole et al. The development of body mass components was based on anthropometric assessment of the fat, muscle, bone and residual mass. They were calculated using Matiegka method (by Veskler) and Mc Ardle, Katch and Katch formulas. The data were processed implementing descriptive and correlation analysis.The results show that the total growth of body mass during childhood have been different importance, structure and mechanism. It is base are the qualitative changes in body composition, which occur at certain stages of girls development and characterized with different relation between the fractions, constituting body mass. The age interval of 9–10 is crucial in girls development. At this age the puberty growth jump occurs- the height increases by 10 cm on the average and weight- by 6 kg. Changes in the development of body mass components occur at this age determinate the future female architechtonics of the body. The fat component of girls is characterized by highest increase rate throughout the examined growth period, followed by the muscle, bone and residual component's increase rate. Body mass changes in girls of normal physical development and nutritional status are associated to a different higher degree with changes in muscle, bone and fat tissue mass. In this connection when diagnosing obesity it is necessary to use not only overweight signs as BMI, but also methods of fractioning body mass, which allow analyzing the development of its components, the fat component in particular.

New reference growth charts for Japanese girls with Turner syndrome

Currently used growth charts for Japanese girls with Turner syndrome (TS) were constructed with auxological data obtained before the secular trend in growth reached a plateau. These charts were published in 1992 and may no longer be valid for the evaluation of stature and growth in girls with TS in clinical settings. Thus, we need to establish new clinical growth charts. The samples for analysis were obtained by a retrospective cohort study. A total of 1867 Japanese girls with TS were registered between 1991 and 2004 for growth hormone (GH) treatment and their pretreatment anthropometric measurements were obtained. Reference growth charts were newly constructed using the LMS method from 1447 girls' cross-sectional data after exclusion of measurements derived from those with the presence of puberty, with previous growth-promoting treatment, or without cytogenetic evidence of TS. The new clinical reference growth charts differ from the old charts. Secular trends can be detected in both height and weight. Mean adult height on the new chart is 141.2 cm, 3.0 cm taller than the old data. This result seems attributable to the secular trend observed during the same period in Japanese women. The newly constructed clinical reference growth charts for Japanese girls with TS seem to be better for the evaluation of growth in girls with TS born after approximately 1970, although selection bias and some other limitations in the present study should be kept in mind.

Consideration of the canalisation effect based on physical factors of mothers and their children

The canalisation effect refers to the finding that there is less variance from one’s genetically predisposed growth in girls than in boys. In this study, the canalisation effect was confirmed by measuring not only the physique of parents and children but also their body composition, and the relationship between body composition of parents and children was investigated. The subjects were 56 mothers aged in their 20s to 40s and their 56 children (boys 29, girls 27). Physique, body composition and bone mineral density were measured in 56 mothers and their children. The influence of age was controlled so that a correlation analysis between children and mothers was possible with the cross-sectional data used in the present study. A correlation analysis between mothers and their children was also conducted with estimated values that were controlled for age. As a result, in the relationship between sons and mothers, significant correlations were seen in height and soft lean mass (SLM), while in the relation between daughters and mothers, significant correlations were seen in everything but bone mineral density; that is, in height, weight, bone mass, SLM, fat mass and body fat percentage. In the relationship between sons and mothers, the correlation in height was strong.