DETERMINATION OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL AGE IN CHILDREN

Assessment of biological and chronological age is an essential component of pediatrichealth evaluation, providing valuable information about a child's growth, maturation, anddevelopmental status. While chronological age is determined by the date of birth, biological agereflects the actual physiological and functional maturity of the organism. Differences between theseindicators may reveal growth disorders, endocrine abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, ordevelopmental delays. This article examines the principles, methods, and clinical significance ofdetermining biological and chronological age in children. Particular attention is given toanthropometric measurements, skeletal maturity assessment, dental development, and secondarysexual characteristics as reliable markers of biological age. Understanding the relationship betweenbiological and chronological age contributes to accurate diagnosis, individualized healthcare, andeffective monitoring of child development