[Reference tables of arm circumference from birth to 12 years of age for Argentinian girls and boys]. / Tablas de referencia del perímetro del brazo desde el nacimiento hasta los doce años, para niñas y niños Argentinos.

Standards for arm circumference for Argentinian children from birth to twelve years are presented. Such tables were constructed with healthy children living in La Plata, Argentina, a city with prevalent universitary and administrative population. Two samples of children were utilized: one from a longitudinal study which included 121 girls and 129 boys, from the middle class level who were periodically measured from birth up to the 144th week; the other one derived from a cross-sectional study covering 897 girls and 892 boys aged four to twelve years. This second sample was obtained applying a probabilistic and stratified sampling method, and is representative of La Plata's population for that group of age. Approximately 70% of the children belonged to the upper and middle social class. Raw and smoothed selected centiles are presented and compared to other communities, both local and foreign.

Age of menarche in urban Argentinian girls.

A cross-sectional study in La Plata city, Argentina, yielded a mean age of menarche in 6494 schoolgirls, of 12.53 +/- 0.05 years, standard deviation 1.22 years, obtained by probit analysis. These values show a relatively early age of menarche in Argentinian girls as compared to other populations.

Age of onset of puberty in urban Argentinian children.

A cross-sectional study in La Plata city, Argentina yielded mean ages of onset of breast and pubic hair developments in 504 girls and of genitalia development in 498 boys of 10.8, 11.0 and 11.8 years respectively. These values are close to those reported previously for various other populations.

Viral etiology in acute lower respiratory infections in children from a closed community.

The aim of this study was to determine the viral agents associated with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in young children. During a 2-yr period, 204 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) from children under 4 yr of age living in an orphanage and exhibiting febrile ALRI were studied by both indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and isolation in four cell lines. NPA cell smears as well as tissue culture cells exhibiting cytopathic effect (CPE) or hemadsorption were stained by IIF for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, influenza A and B, and parainfluenza 1 and 3. Viral etiology was demonstrated in 21.2% of acute respiratory infection cases. The most frequently detected virus was RSV (53.5% of viral positive diagnoses), followed by unidentified viruses (18.6%), adenovirus (13.9%), influenza A (7%), and parainfluenza 3 (4.7%). The most common clinical entities were: bronchitis, 46.1%; pneumonia, 24%; bronchiolitis, 22%; and multifocal pneumonia, 8%. Malnourishment was found in 56% of children with ALRI, whereas 50% was found among total orphanage population. The 3 to 8-month-old age group accounted for half of all ALRI cases. Viral etiology was shown for 26.5% of patients with pneumonia, 22% with bronchitis, and 16% with bronchiolitis. RSV and adenovirus occurred in fall and winter, while parainfluenza 3 was detected in early spring. In the two fatal cases observed, histologic lesions were compatible with adenovirus infection, but this virus could be isolated from the lung in only one case.