We measure children, we plot charts, but we don’t often give much thought to the developmental origins of human growth. tanner last dealt with this a generation ago in ‘a History of the Study of Human Growth’. Now Ze’ev Hochberg has taken up this challenge again. this treatise centres around the juvenility hypothesis – where this phase of development between childhood and adolescence is seen as something separate. Whether or not you accept this approach, the book presents a very thoughtful debate as to the special aspects of humankind that differentiate us from animals. the concepts of evolution in relation to human growth are taken all the way back beyond darwin. Hochberg brings the comparative assessment of growth between human subspecies present and past, the environment, cultural and external influences, all together, as well as comparing ourselves with our nearest animal relatives, the great apes. He delves into the developmental origins of human disease. this book gives a very comprehensive and credible account of evolutionary aspects of body size adaptation, taking into consideration energy availability, and how these factors have influenced growth over many millions of years, and also over just a few generations latterly. if you don’t understand the importance of epigenetics, then this is the book for you. We are all used to the karlberg infancy-childhood-puberty model of growth. this book builds on this by investigating the nutritional, geographic, epigenetic and pathological influences on the transition points. Central to the author’s purpose is the proposition of the existence of a new stage in growth and development – ‘juvenility’. Juvenility centres around adrenarche, the possible existence of a mid-childhood growth spurt, the obesity rebound, and the subsequent period of growth deceleration towards adolescence. as someone who has put forward an alternative explanation of mid childhood growth, the ‘cyclical growth’ theory, i found myself fighting with some of the arguments. Hochberg devotes a chapter to this debate, presenting the examples of precocity and obesity where such a theory is challenged. Each reader must make their own mind up as to whether they accept it. Hochberg’s style requires you to read carefully, as so many fascinating arguments are developed. Colleagues have contributed sections, rather like very extended footnotes to elaborate on certain topics. to my mind, these other very different styles, some resembling complicated textbooks, interrupt the train of thought and do not always add to the arguments. Sometimes we as paediatricians pay too little attention to the underlying principles of how our patients grow. Growth is a curious process. You would certainly understand the process better after reading this treatise, and it may help you develop your own concepts of this fascinating phenomenon Sociedad Española de Endocrinología Pediátrica (SEEP) SEEP, the Spanish Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, formed in 1977 and has 225 members, led by President Prof. luis antonio Castaño González. Members’ interests are represented by nine working groups: thyroid, diabetes, sex differentiation disorders, molecular biology, bioethics, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, precocious puberty, obesity, and small for gestational age (SGa). SEEP organises an annual Meeting, as well as an annual Postgraduate Course (Update in Paediatric Endocrinology). Sessions on Paediatric diabetes and advances in Paediatric diabetes take place every other year. there is one Working Group Session per year, which the groups take turns to host, with the SGa Working Group leading the 2012 Session. free access to their journal, revista Española de Endocrinología Pediatrica, is available at www.seep.es, along with clinical guidelines and patient and parent leaflets, and a list of reference centres for special studies. the SEEP foundation awards a grant annually for each of clinical investigation and basic investigation, and there is also a grant for exchange stays in paediatric endocrinology units. these are in addition to a wide range of prizes. Currently, the Government, Education Ministry and Spanish association of Paediatrics do not officially acknowledge paediatric endocrinology as a sub-specialty. SEEP is the only body issuing accreditation, upon demonstration of clinical and investigation activity in the field for at least
