Measurement of the growth of children at weekly intervals

Rev Sci Instrum. 2019 Feb;90(2):024103. doi: 10.1063/1.5018268.

Abstract

A new method for measuring the growth of children is presented, based on the measurement of the lower leg length during foot movement. This is a touch measurement, but the obtained characteristic of the measured lower leg length, as a function of the pressure force, is reduced to a non-contact measurement. A setup prototype is built and preliminary research conducted. Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that the method allows the observation of increases in child lower leg length at frequent intervals (e.g., weekly). The developed measurement method has a high accuracy, and the results allow for differentiation between periods of child good health and indisposition.