Front Cover; Dedication; Human Growth and Development; Copyright; Contents; Contributors; Introduction; Using this book; the lectures and lecturers; editors' personal statements; coda; references; chapter 1 -- The human growth curve, canalization and catch-up growth; 1.1 introduction; 1.2 historical background; 1.3 the distance curve of growth; 1.4 the velocity growth curve and growth spurts; 1.5 other patterns of growth; 1.6 growth versus maturity; 1.7 the control of growth; 1.8 growth reference charts; 1.9 canalization; 1.10 catch-up growth; 1.11 summary and conclusions; references.

Suggested readinginternet resources; chapter 2 -- Growth in infancy and childhood: a pediatric approach; 2.1 introduction; 2.2 the growth curve; 2.3 changes in body fat and other tissues; 2.4 measurements of clinical importance; 2.5 some particular features of growth during infancy and childhood; 2.6 growth problems in infancy and childhood; 2.7 causes of short stature; 2.8 summary; references; internet resources; chapter 3 -- Adolescent growth; 3.1 introduction; 3.2 the adolescent growth cycle; 3.3 tempo of growth; 3.4 growth modeling and biological parameters.

3.5 individual versus average growth3.6 sex differences in growth; 3.7 summary; references; suggested reading; chapter 4 -- Puberty; 4.1 introduction; 4.2 the neuroendocrinology of puberty; 4.3 upstream factors influencing pubertal timing; 4.4 downstream consequences of pubertal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; 4.5 summary; references; suggested reading; internet resources; chapter 5 -- Endocrine control of growth; 5.1 introduction; 5.2 why do animals grow?; 5.3 what causes animals to grow?; 5.4 structure of insulin-like growth factor.

5.5 targeted disruption of the insulin-like growth factor genes5.6 growth hormone receptor; 5.7 insulin-like growth factor deficiency; 5.8 therapeutic implications; 5.9 summary; references; suggested reading; internet resources; chapter 6 -- Nutrition and growth; 6.1 introduction; 6.2 nutrition for students of growth; 6.3 nutrition and growth; 6.4 transitions in nutrition and growth; references; suggested reading; internet resources; chapter 7 -- Genomics, epigenetics and growth; 7.1 introduction; 7.2 genomic factors that influence and regulate growth; 7.3 mutations in genes.

7.4 association studies7.5 epigenetic factors that influence and regulate growth; 7.6 conclusion; references; internet resources; chapter 8 -- The genetic epidemiology of growth and development; 8.1 introduction; 8.2 statistical genetic terms and concepts; 8.3 study designs; 8.4 studies of the genetics of growth and development; 8.5 examples from the fels longitudinal study; 8.6 summary; glossary; references; suggested reading; internet resources; chapter 9 -- Social and economic effects on growth; 9.1 introduction; 9.2 socioeconomic influences; 9.3 consequences of stature; references.