SIGNPOSTS ON THE HIGHWAY OF GROWTH

Abstract

FOR MORE than a score of years I have been engaged in instructing medical students, interns, and pediatric residents in some of the fundamental aspects of the growth and development of children. Whereas it is true that average or median figures for height and weight and appraisal of the person in terms of percentage deviation therefrom can best be determined by reference to published tables or charts, it is nevertheless desirable that the student (or embryonic pediatrician) be able to formulate mentally without reference to tables a rough assessment of the nutritional and developmental status of the individual patient. Over the years I have therefore presented to my students a series of "aids to memory" to encourage quick and approximate assessment of the developmental status. The mnemonics have been of such type as the following: "at 3 years the child is 3 ft. tall"; "at 4 years the child is