[Growth disorders in the child].

The ability to interpret growth of a child is dependent on the availability of earlier data of the child and of data concerning the family. Most important is the recording of growth data on a growth chart by the family doctor or the paediatrician. In addition, parental height allows the calculation of the patients target height. The exact interpretation of bone age using a x-ray of the hand is imperative. The most common "disturbances of growth" are variants of the norm, like familial short stature or retardation of growth and development, or--not rarely--a combination of both. A simple flow sheet is helpful in determining if further endocrine investigation are needed.