WHO child growth standards

A comprehensive review of the uses and interpretation of anthropometric references undertaken by WHO in the early 1990s concluded that new growth curves were needed to replace the existing international reference. To develop new standards, a multi-country study was carried out to collect primary growth data and related information from 8440 healthy breastfed infants and young children from diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the USA). This report presents the second set of growth standards (head circumference-for-age, arm circumference-for-age, triceps skinfold-for-age and subscapular skinfold-for-age). The standards depict normal early childhood growth under optimal environmental conditions and can be used to assess children everywhere, regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status and type of feeding.--Publisher's description.