Height Velocity Percentiles in Indian Children Aged 5–17 Years

Abstract

Objective To assess height velocity and develop height velocity percentiles in 5-17-year-old Indian children; and to study the magnitude and age at peak height velocity. Design Mixed longitudinal study. Setting Private schools at Pune and Delhi. Participants/patients 2949 children (1681 boys) belonging to affluent class aged 5–17 years (1473-Pune, 1476-Delhi). Methods Annual height and weight measurements from 2007 to 2013. Total 13214 height velocity measurements (7724 on boys). Outcome Measures Height velocity percentiles (3^rd, 10^th, 25^th, 50^th, 75^th, 90^th and 97^th) constructed using LMS chart maker. Results Age- and gender-specific height velocity percentiles were generated. Median height velocity in girls decreased from 5 to 8 years, increased to a peak of 6.6 cm at 10.5 years and then declined to 0.3 cm at 17.5 years. In boys, median height velocity reduced till 10.5, increased to a peak of 6.8 cms at 13.5 years and then declined to 1cm by 18 years. Conclusions Height velocity percentiles in 5-17-year-old urban Indian children were constructed.