[Growth and maturation of children of normal short stature in the light of selected auxological determinants].

In longitudinal complex auxological studies of healthy short stature children in the first decade of life the authors analyse the dynamics of height velocity and growth rate of 11 somatic patterns with skeletal maturation of the hand and wrist as well as the influence of some genetic, paragenetic and biological determinants (morbidity). They find that the degree of stature deficit is on the same level during the period of observation (5-10 years) with slow growth rate in some of the analysed anthropological parameters. The delay of skeletal maturation typical for children under study is coexistent with a number of minor anomalies of hands and wrists which are more frequent than in healthy normal children. These minor anomalies are more frequent in boys than in girls. The analysed paragenetic determinants seem not to be significant, however there exists a strong association between the short stature of mothers and children under study. Moreover a higher morbidity of respiratory tracts is observed in short stature children than in general population.