A Model for Describing Normal and Abnormal Growth in Early Childhood

Document Type

Article

Authors

Catherine S. Berkey, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Robert B. Reed, Harvard School of Public Health

Abstract

A new model is proposed which is appropriate for early child' hood growth in length and possibly also for weight and head circumference. This model is linear in the parameters which makes the fitting of individual curves and analysis of coefficients simpler than with nonlinear growth mod­els. A further advantage of this model is that a wider variety of both normal and abnormal growth patterns can be accommodated by the curve. The efficacy of the model is investigated using length data from 229 Boston children.

Recommended Citation

Berkey, Catherine S. and Reed, Robert B. (1987) "A Model for Describing Normal and Abnormal Growth in Early Childhood," Human Biology: Vol. 59: Iss. 6, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol59/iss6/10