Nutritional correlates of child development in Southern Tunisia. 3. Skeletal growth and maturation
Boutourline, E.; Tesi, G.; Kerr, G.R.; Ghamry, M.T.; Stare, F.J.; Kallal, Z.; Turki, M.; Hemaidan, N.
Growth 37(3): 223-247
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-4793 PMID: 4355919 Document Number: 69563
3. The hand, wrist and forearm of 2611 children from 3 months to 5 years 9 months from villages in southern Tunisia were X-rayed and skeletal maturity was assessed by the method of Tanner et al. (Standards of skeletal maturity. Paris, International Children's Center (1962)). There was little difference between sexes in length of radius and ulna but total scores of girls showed that they were significantly more advanced in skeletal development than boys. The 50th centile values for skeletal age in Tunisian children were comparable to the 50th centile values of British children at 1 and 2 years of chronological age; thereafter Tunisians were relatively retarded in skeletal development but only to a maximum of 6/10 of a year at chronological age 3 years 6 months. At about 6 years the differences between the Tunisian and British children were insignificant.