This book collates information from many sources that is necessary for the assessment and interpretation of growth data recorded in clinics or research studies. The large writing task will be justified if the book proves beneficial to professionals who measure the growth of infants and children. These professionals include pediatricians, family practice physicians, dieticians, other health workers, epidemiologists, and human biologists. Part of the material presented may be unfamiliar to some readers, but all the topics covered are relevant to the accurate assessment and interpretation of human growth and maturation, which are central to pediatric practice and public health policies relating to children. The literature review is restricted to reports from developed countries, but there should not be a corresponding restriction of the readership. Those working in lesser-developed countries, who may have limited access to the literature, will gain from a more complete knowledge of what is currently known and the analytic methods that have been applied. The text is appropriate for practicing professionals, graduate students, and senior undergraduates, but is not intended for the casual reader.

One impetus to writing this book was the difficulty of collating findings from a multitude of relevant published reports that are scattered in many journals and monographs. With a few exceptions, no more than four recent references are given for any particular statement, which should be sufficient to help the reader evaluate the evidence. Additional references would have broken up the text further, making it difficult to read.