ArticlePediatric research2025
Early life growth is related to pubertal growth and adult height - a QEPS-model analysis.
Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association between childhood weight status and timing of puberty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Free testosterone and IGF-I mediate sex-specific linear growth during minipuberty.Endocrine connections · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe early life growth period, from conception to ~2 years of age, has proven crucial for later health. We hypothesized that early life growth could explain variations in pubertal growth and timing, and adult height.
methodsThis retrospective, population-based study was conducted in Sweden. A subgroup, including individuals of all gestational ages and birth sizes (n = 4700, 50% males), from the longitudinal GrowUp
resultsIn multivariate models, early life growth explained 37-38% of the variability in specific pubertal growth, but less so the variability in pubertal timing. Variability in adult height was explained by birth size (57-62%), early growth (66-67%), childhood growth (65-69%), and to a lesser degree by mid-parental height (35-39%). The change in height during puberty explained 8-9% of the variation in adult height.
conclusionThis study indicates that early life growth is strongly associated with the variability in pubertal growth, and adult height, but not with the timing of pubertal growth. IMPACT: Early life growth is important as it can serve as a marker for future growth, development, and health. The association between length growth during fetal life and infancy and pubertal growth and timing, and adult height, is only partly understood. Using the QEPS growth model, specific early life growth (E-function) and specific pubertal growth (P-function), including individual variations in tempo and amplitude, can be studied separately from ongoing basic growth (Q-function). This study showed that early life growth is strongly associated with and explains specific pubertal height gain and adult height but less so the timing of pubertal growth.
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