Argentina has officially adopted the WHO curves for use in monitoring growth of its children. However, specific guidance on the evaluation of growth in Argentine children was completed in 2013. This document may be downloaded from the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatriá. The curves on this page are taken from other sources.

Postnatal Growth

The curves here were made using data from two studies. The curves for younger children are from a study of ~3,500 Argentinian infants and children aged 3 months to 5 years (1). The children lived in all parts of Argentina. The authors compared their data with data from the national growth curves (based on measurements made in the 1960s and 1970s). They did not find large differences.

The curves including children and adolescents up to age 19 were made using data from a large national study that was published in 1987 by the Argentina Society for Pediatrics (2).

Size at Birth by Gestational Age

Singletons: Weight

The curves here were made using data from all live singleton births in Argentina between 2003 and 2007 (~3,500,000 infants; 3). The goal of the study was to create birthweight reference curves for Argentina.

Twins: Weight

The curves here were made using data from all live twin births in Argentina between 2003 and 2007 (~57,600 infants; 3). The goal of the study was to create birthweight reference curves for Argentina.

Achondroplasia

Achondroplasia is a conditioin that causes a person's arms and legs to be very short. Average adult height is roughly 4 feet, 4 inches (131 cm) for males and 4 feet, 1 inch for females (124 cm). People with this condition may also have occasional problems with breathing and can be prone to having ear infections. They may also have abnormal curvature of the spine and back pain. Intelligence is generally normal.

This section links to growth curves for height and weight in Argentine children with achondroplasia. The curves come from a longitudinal study on 228 children and 16 adults with achondroplasia (4); this term means that the authors used serial measurements on the people in the study as they grew up. Clicking a link will downloaded a chart from the Supplementary Materials on the publisher's website.

You may also download the paper via the link in reference 4. The paper has growth curves for head circumference from birth to age 6 and height and weight curves up to age 18.

Achondroplasia: Weight

Achondroplasia: Height

Turner Syndrome

Turner syndrome (TS) is a condition that affects only girls. Its most common sign is short stature, which occurs in in 100% of cases. Girls with TS are smaller than most infants at birth, and they fall off the growth charts quickly. Without treatment, the average adult woman with TS is only 4 feet 8 inches tall, but girls who receive growth hormones may grow to the low end of the normal height range. Girls with TS also need estrogen therapy to help them develop physically, and they may have to continue taking it as adults. Fertility problems are very common in TS. In many cases, they are due to an underdeveloped or absent uterus and abnormalities with the ovaries. However, this problem is not universal, and some women with TS can become pregnant with assistance from reproductive therapy. Heart problems, kidney problems, and thyroid problems are also common in TS. Overall intelligence in most girls and women with TS is usually normal, but some people may have problems with math and manual dexterity. In addition, and in childhood especially, relations with other children may be challenging due to poor social skills.

TS is caused by a damaged or missing X chromosome. It is the most common sex chromosome disorder in females, with estimates that one girl in 2,500 has TS. For more information about TS in English, visit our Turner syndrome web page or the Turner Syndrome pages of the Mayo Clinic.

Growth curves

The curve belows was made from longitudinal data on 254 girls with Turner syndrome (5). Mean adult height in the sample was ~138 cm (~4 feet 6 inches), or ~3.7 standard deviations below the mean for the general population.

This curve shows longitudinal data growth velocity in 187 girls with Turner syndrome (~1,050 measurments were taken; 6). The term growth velocity refers to how fast a child is growing. Velocity is greatest before birth, but is also fast during the first year. After this time, it slows until puberty. The dashed lines on the curve show velocity in girls without TS. The chart shows that untreated girls with TS do not have a growth spurt during puberty.

References

1. 1. del Pino M et al. (2003) Vigencia de los estándares nacionales de peso y estatura de 0 a 5 años. Arch Argent Pediatr 101(5):351–356. Full text.
2. 2. Lejarraga H et al. (1987) Estándares de peso y estatura para niñas y niños argentinos desde el nacimiento hasta la madurez. Arch Argent Pediatr 85:209-222. No abstract available.
3. 3. Urquia ML et al. (2011) Referencias poblacionales argentinas de peso al nacer según multiplicidad del parto, sexo y edad gestacional. Rev Panam Salud Publica 29(2):108-119. Full text from Scielo.
4. 4. del Pino M et al. (2011) Growth references for height, weight, and head circumference for Argentine children with achondroplasia. Eur J Pediatr 170(4):453-459. Abstract on PubMed.
5. 5. Garcia Rudaz C et al. (1995) Growth of Argentinian girls with Turner syndrome. Ann Hum Biol 22(6):533-544. Abstract on PubMed.
6. 6. Lejarraga H et al. (2001) Height velocity in Argentinean girls with Turner's syndrome. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 14(7):883-891. Abstract on PubMed.