Dtsch Arztebl Int
-
Review Meta Analysis
Growth and puberty in German children: is there still a positive secular trend?
Since the mid-19th century, growth in German children has accelerated and final height increased. Possible causes of this secular trend include improvements in nutrition, hygiene, and health care. While the upward secular trend still continues in some parts of the world, it seems to be slowing in industrialized countries. ⋯ In Germany, as elsewhere in northern Europe, the upward secular trend in height is slowing (ca. 2 cm/decade up to the mid-20th century, currently less than 1 cm/decade), and the age at menarche has stabilized at just under 13 years. It remains an open question whether the observed slowing will merely be temporary, or whether it indeed represents the near-attainment of an endpoint owing to relatively stable environmental conditions.