Postnatal Growth

A study published in 2021 (1) created growth curves for Spanish children in the Extremadura region (southwestern Spain). The authors used data from 58,586 children (birth to age 10); 52% were boys and 48% were girls. They made curves for weight and height. The curves were published with the paper, which is freely available.

The link below will take you to a large PDF file with growth charts for Spanish children (3). The translated title of the file is Growth Curves and Tables (Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Studies). The curves and tables are broken into two groups: 0 to 2 years, and 2 to 18 years. If you don't speak/read Spanish, these terms may help:

• Peso: weight
• Longitud: length (measured lying down)
• Talla: height/stature (measured standing up)
• Perimetro craneal: head circumference
• Indice de Masa Corporal (IMC): Body Mass Index (BMI)

Down Syndrome

Clicking on the link below will take you to a large PDF file with growth charts for Spanish children with Down syndrome. For people who cannot read Spanish, the research study that produced these charts is written in English. It contains preliminary versions of the charts, and was published in an open-access journal (2).

The study authors made ~1,700 measurements on children seen at the Centre Mèdic Down (Down Medical Centre, or CMD) in Barcelona. Children were aged 0 to 15 years; many were followed through serial visits to the center. None had a condition, such as heart disease or hypothyroidism that could affect growth. Thus, the charts reflect the growth of healthy children with Down syndrome.

References

1. 1. Pardo-Galán L, et al. (2021) New Growth Curves for Spanish Children (0-10 Years) in the Region of Extremadura. Int J Environ Res Public Health 18(17):8953. Full text on ResearchGate.
2. 2. Sobradillo BA et al. (2007) Curvas y tablas de crecimiento. Bilbao, Fundación Faustino Orbegozo Eizaguirre. Full text.
3. 3. Durán XP et al. (2004) Updated growth charts of Spanish children with Down syndrome [In Spanish]. Int Med J Down Syn 8(3):34-45. Full text.
Photo credit: The Alcántara Bridge across the River Tajo, Cáceres Province, Extremadura, Spain, photographed by Dantla and found in the Wikimedia Commons. The Alcántara Bridge is an ancient Roman bridge built at Alcántara, Extremadura, Spain. This location is near the border with Portugal. The word alcántara comes from the Arabic word al-Qantarah, meaning the arch. It is 150 feet above the Tagus river at its highest point. This file is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.