Question

A child who was growing normally prior to experiencing an illness falls behind in growth, but after the illness is resolved his growth returns to a normal pattern. This is an example of:

Answer 1

Sometimes when a child experiences an acute illness such as diarrhea, it can have adverse consequences on their growth, However, the child usually experiences catch up growth after the diarrhea is cured.

Catch up growth can be defined as growth that is more rapid than usual and follows a period of growth inhibition. Thus, acute illnesses may have only short-term effects on a child's growth as when the illness is resolved, growth may return to a normal pattern.