Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Naberezhniye Chelny branch of the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, Naberezhniye Chelny, Republic of Tatarstan
Chernysheva F.A., e-mail: h-chfa@mail.ru; Islamova N.M., e-mail: islamovan.m@mail.ru
The urgency of the work is due to the lack of basic regional research of children’s development variability during the early stages of postnatal ontogenesis that has occurred in last decades. This work is devoted to the investigation of the environmental quality impact on the physical development of infants (1987, 2007) born in Mendeleevsk - the center of chemical and mineral fertilizers. In the 50s of the XIX century in Mendeleevsk were constructed two chemical plants. The time period of environmental pollution, the local nature of its intensity in this region are comparable to the environmental situation in some big cities. Though now in Mendeleevks live just about 22 thousands people. The aim of the investigation was to study the changes in anthropometric characteristics of the profile of newborns of 1987 and 2007 born in Mendeleevsk. Material and methods. We used an archival material from Mendeleevsk maternity hospital, 400 medical records of newborns in 1987 and 2007. For investigated years, the histories of neonates were selected randomly for each month. The data analysis was conducted separately for boys and girls. Sexual dimorphism was evaluated as a significant difference in a body size among the members of different sexes. The obtained data is mathematically processed using the methods of variationtional statistics. Results and discussion. In terms of body length, head circumference children of both sexes seem to be a quite homogeneous statistical population, as it’s seen according to the coefficients of variation in the range 4.4-6.9%. Variability of body weight is higher (12.3-14.5%), that is caused by birth of children with signs of prematurity of different degrees and children with a big weight (from 1900 to 4700 g.). The first degree of prematurity was detected in each gender group in both years of the study. The second degree of prematurity is typical only for boys in 1987 and 2007 birth years in equal measure. In comparison with 1987 a decrease in the proportion of children with big weight to 5% of boys and 8% in girls is observed, as well as the proportion increase of underweight girls from 3% (1987) to 12% (2007). Variability of anthropometric rates of the examined groups of children is in the normal range. The averages of the body length during 20 years are decreased by 1.4 cm for boys and 2.1 cm for girls. Changes in the head circumference of babies are smaller. For boys there is an increase by 0.3 cm and for the girls, on the contrary, a decrease by 0.7 cm. We don’t give the data about the chest circumference as this option was not fixed in medical records in 1987. Sexual dimorphism is mostly typical for the modern newborns. Conclusion. Secular trends indicate that changes in the physical development of the investigated groups of newborns are diverse and are due to the complex influence of environmental factors and socio-economic nature. In towns (with populations less than 50 thousands) the environmental condition influence on the physical development and health of infants is determined by the level of pollution, the solvability of socio-economic and demographic problems of city residents, as well as by the health level. Averages for the anthropometric characters can be used as the criteria and the «zone of adaptive norm» in monitoring studies.
infants, physical development, regional characteristics, an industrial city
Цит.: Chernysheva F.A., Islamova N.M. Secular changes of the physical development of newborn children in the industrial city // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 4/2014; с. 52-61
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