Predicting longitudinal growth curves of height and weight using ecological factors for children with and without early growth deficiency

Growth curve models were used to examine the effect of genetic and ecologic al factors on changes in height and weight of 225 children from low income, urban families who were assessed up to eight times in the first 6 y of lif e. Children with early growth deficiency [failure to thrive (FTT)] (n = 127 ) and a community sample of children without growth deficiency (n = 98) wer e examined to evaluate how genetic, child and family characteristics influe nced growth. Children of taller and heavier parents, who were recruited at younger ages and did not have a history of growth deficiency, had accelerat ed growth from recruitment through age 6 y. In addition, increases in heigh t were associated with better hearth, less difficult temperament, nurturant mothers and female gender; increases in weight were associated with better health. Children with a history of growth deficiency demonstrated slower r ates of growth than children in the community group without a history of gr owth deficiency. In the community group, changes in children's height and w eight were related to maternal perceptions of health and temperament and ma ternal nurturance during feeding, whereas in the FTT group, maternal percep tions and behavior were not in synchrony with children's growth. These find ings suggest that, in addition to genetic factors, growth is dependent on a nurturant and sensitive caregiving system. Interventions to promote growth should consider child and family characteristics, including maternal perce ptions of children's health and temperament and maternal mealtime behavior.