[Altitude adaptation. Part II. Altitude adaptation as a problem of human biology. I. Growth)].

There are 3 main components influencing the mean stature of high altitude natives. The lower mean birthweight, which seems to result from the impossibility of complete adaptation during the last trimenon of gestation, which cannot be fully compensated during life. The general protein deficiency, or the habits of nutrition which are not comparable with the food-composition in industry-nations may be important. A definitive undernourishment has not been observed in those nations with longtime adaptation to the available food since generations, but several deficiencies of substances which specially influence growth, cannot be outruled. We also have to recognize the generally lower mean stature of the population in whole (South America Indians), that means of the both parents of a child. In the presence of low gene flow from one to the other generation this may influence also individual body measurement.