524 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BUILD 



for stature than the taller infants. The curve for girls (not shown in the charts) is 

 similar. K. Pearson (1899) gives a summary of results of a study of 1,000 male 

 and 1,000 female babies born at "the normal period" at the Lambeth Lying-in 

 Hospital. He gives formulae for computing the probable weight from a given length 

 in each sex. A curve plotted from his formula for males (W = 0.553 L 4.04) is 

 represented by a dotted line labeled Pearson, boys, in chart B. This curve likewise 

 shows short infants relatively much heavier than tall infants, but throughout lighter 

 than those in the first series. The curve for female infants is similar. 



Dr. R. E. Scammon, of the University of Minnesota, has been making an 

 extensive study of available literature on the stature and weight of infants at birth 

 and has plotted weight for stature for over 1,800 infants of both sexes, whose 

 measurements he has found recorded in the literature, chiefly of western Europe. 

 He has kindly placed his data at my disposal and from these data I have plotted 

 the curves labeled Scammon in chart B. At the left, labeled "new-born maximum," 

 there is plotted a curve which shows the heaviest infant for each centimeter of 

 height from 43 to 56 cm. This curve, though irregular, shows a relative decrease 

 of weight with increase of stature. Beginning at the left of the typical growth- 

 curve, a curve represented by dotted lines labeled "25 per cent" represents the mean 

 of the heavier half of the infants for each centimeter of stature. Here it will be noted 

 that the shortest infants are relatively light, but those above 46 cm. (18.1 inches) 

 show in general a relative decrease in weight with increase in stature. The curve 

 of median weight, which begins near the typical growth-curve, takes a similar course, 

 as does also the dotted 25 per cent curve to the right of this. Between the two 25 

 per cent curves are included 50 per cent of Scammon's cases for each centimeter of 

 stature. Still further to the right the "new-born minimum" curve represents the 

 smallest weight for a given stature found by Scammon. 



It will thus be seen that while the shortest of the infants recorded by Scammon 

 are grouped about the typical growth-curve, as we would expect them to be if pre- 

 mature rather than full-term (Scammon, however, endeavored to exclude such 

 infants), new-born infants over 18 inches in length show a relative decrease in 

 weight with increase in stature. 



The curve labeled C. R. B., beginning in the 1.150 column at stature 17.5 and 

 marked by a broken line, represents a type curve which I have constructed for new- 

 born male infants based on the data cited and other data. The formula for this 



curve is index = ~ ~[ 0.485, where x = stature in inches. For females the cor- 



30.000 

 responding curve is index = - p 0.664. 



*C J_ 



For age 6 months I have a limited amount of data based on statistical studies 

 made in Dane County for the investigations now being carried out on height and 

 weight of children by the Children's Bureau of the U. S. Department of Labor, 

 Robert E. Woodbury, director of statistical research. The curve in chart B, labeled 

 6 mo. Dane Co. both sexes, is based on a study of records of 60 individuals of both 

 sexes. The small number of data available makes the curve irregular, but it shows 

 a similar relatively large weight for short, small weight for tall individuals at this 



