Growth curves of children with Down syndrome

Growth curves of 105 children with Down syndrome (50 boys and 55 girls) wer e established. At birth height, weight and head circumference of Down syndr ome children were lower than these parameters in controls. This delay remai ned stable until puberty. For weight there was no clearcut pubertal growth spurt. For stature, the prepubertal growth spurt occurred earlier (at the a ge of 11 years in boys and 9 1/2 years in girls) than in controls but was l ess marked. As a result, Down syndrome patients had a short stature with a quite normal weight, These reference curves, available since prenatal diagn osis of Down syndrome is perfomed routinely, are helpful for monitoring nor mal and abnormal development in Down syndrome patients.