STANDARDS OF BASAL METABOLISM FOR CHILDREN OF RETARDED GROWTH

Many workers studying the metabolism of children have found that their figures vary a great deal, depending on the prediction standards used. Until Benedict and Talbot¹ published their studies on the metabolism of normal children, there were no reliable normal standards in childhood. The tables published as a result of their work are useful in predicting the basal heat production of the average child.

The prediction standards available are for total calories referred to body weight, total calories referred to surface area and total calories referred to age. In addition, Benedict² recommended a standard referred to total height, which has been worked out by Talbot³ for growing children. Pirquet⁴ found that the sitting height bears a fairly constant relationship to body weight and to total metabolism, and he suggested a formula based on sitting height which my associates and I found to be an excellent single