This study´s purpose is to clarify the growth patter of Down Syndrome cases -particulary centering on the adolescent growth pattern - and to draw up a standard growth chart on body height and weight which is one estimation of physical growth for the effective caring of their health.
I sampled 269 Down syndrome cases(Male 151, Female 118) whose ages ranged from 6 years of age to adulthood and 348 normal control cases(Male 175, Female 173) who were in same age group with Down Syndrome. We also picked 124 Down syndromes cases(Male 70, Female 54) and gathered 8 year longitudinal data on their body height and weight.
The results were that, I found Down syndrome cases´ height to be short and their weight to be overweight. As far as age at peak height velocity was concerned, boys were at 11-12 years of age and girls were at 10-11 years of age, showing that girls were about one year faster. peak height velocity was 6.8㎝/yr for boys and 5.4㎝yr for girls. Peak weight velocity was 5.7㎏/yr for boys and 4.3㎏/yr for girls.
The menarche age of girls with Down syndrome was anticipated to come about 2 years after peak height velocity and peak weight velocity.
Finally, we drew up a standard growth chart and compared it with that of the NCHS, which caused us to come to the conclusion that the Standard Growth chart for Down syndrome cases in Korea that came out of this study was appropriated for the growth-assessment of Down syndrome.
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