Evo-Devo of Child Growth III: Premature Juvenility as an Evolutionary Trade-Off

Juvenility was previously defined as a distinct clinical life history stage, characterized by adrenarche, decelerating growth and accelerating adiposity. This review presents the theory of evolutionary predictive adaptive strategies for premature juvenility in response to (mostly) energy supply, but also to other environmental cues. In the absence of longitudinal adrenal androgen levels, premature juvenility can be diagnosed by auxological criteria. Syndromes of short stature that are associated with premature juvenility include Prader-Willi syndrome, Silver-Russell syndrome and Noonan syndrome, and it is part of the pygmy adaptive shortness of stature. The review elucidates in evolutionary terms the association of premature juvenility with SGA and PCOS. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel Juvenility was previously defined as a distinct clinical life history stage, characterized by unique endocrine and body composition changes (adrenarche, the onset of adrenal androgen production, eruption of the first molar teeth, decelerating growth and accelerating adiposity) in relation to stage-specific social assignments and neuroReceived: October 29, 2009 Accepted: January 20, 2010 Published online: April 15, 2010 Ze’ev Hochberg, MD, PhD Meyer Children’s Hospital, POB 9602 Haifa 31096 (Israel) Tel. +972 4 854 2157, Fax +972 4 854 1690 E-Mail z_hochberg @ rambam.health.gov.il © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel 1663–2818/10/0736–0430$26.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/hrp HORMONE