The intricate phenomenon of human growth and development is regulated in predetermined trajectories by the genetic potential. In an unconstrained environment, individual exhibits a pattern of growth that is more or less parallel to or within this imaginary “canal”. However, none of us has lived or been brought up in a completely unconstrained environment. Towards the end of intrauterine life, our growth was constrained by the size of the uterus. During infancy and childhood, we succumbed to an array of diseases resulting into reduced appetite and absorption of nutrients. Through such circumstances, growth would have reflected the effect of the insult by slowing down (known as catch-down growth) or in a more sev ‘re case, would have ceased (Cameron, 2002). The amount of deviation from the predetermined growth pathway and reduction in growth velocity depends on the duration and severity of growth retardation and the insult and the age at exposure (Tanner, 1981). A child who suffers from an illnes or starvation is able to return to or nearly approach his regular course of growth when conditions improve. The ability to stabilize and return to a predetermined growth curve after being pushed off the trajectories persists throughout the whole period of growth and is commonly seen in response to illness or starvation. This phenomenon was termed <IS canalization or horneorhcsis by a British genetist, C. H. Waddington in 1957 (Harrison et al., 1998). During such recovery phase, his initial growth velocity is above that of normally expected for children of his age or even of his skeletal maturity. This rapid increase in growth velocity following a short term period of starvation 01’ illness is termed as catch-up growth. The growth velocity declines as the child recovers. Catch-up growth may completely restore the growth scenario to normal or, if the insult was severe and very prolonged, it maybe insufficient to do so. In Kenya, Kulin et a1.(1982) conducted a cross-sectional survey comparing girls from three privileged schools in Nairobi against an impoverished rural district with a very high prevalence of malnutrition. By the age of 18 years, the previously malnourished rural children had completely caught up with the affluent girls. Thus, it is clear that substantial catch-up in height to totally eradicate a deficit is possible even after the early stages of growth. Also it is unreasonable to expect that those who developed stunting associated. with poverty will catch up spontaneously without a major change in their circumstances. The follow-up of previously malnourished children in Chile, Peru and Cape Town (Alvear et al., \986) showed a remarkable evidence of spontaneous catch-up when provided with optimum nutrition, though they did not achieve normality. Satyanarayana et al. (1989) reported that undernourished children of rural Hyderabad entered late into puberty, with significantly depressed intensity, but gained height similar to well nourished British children, as a result of prolonged adolescent growth spurt, which continued till 19-20 years. Earlier, potential for catch-up growth among stunted children wa thought to be limited after age of 2 years, associated primarily with high rates of infection and inadequate nutrition related to poor weaning practices and poor dietary quality. However, investigations by Adnair et al. (1999) indicate that there is a large potential for catch-up growth in children even into the preadolcscent years.