[Features of the growth and physical development of mentally retarded school age children].

Using an expanded antropometric programme, the authors conducted a comparative study of the growth and physical development of oligophrenic children at the stage of debility (n = 504) and of normal children (n = 551) aged 8 to 16 years. The study has demonstrated that the size of the body in oligophrenic children is lower as compared to the control group which is due to a less intensive character of growth processes in mentally retarded children in the pubertal period and also a less intensive growth of body segments at later age stages. It is suggested that oligophrenic children have a longer adolescent period and that the growth processes in such children may stabilize at an older age.