Work

Comparison of National Growth Standards for Turkish Infants and Children with World Health Organization Growth Standards

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: Using World Health Organization (WHO) standards in pediatric practice is still controversial in many countries. It is suggested that national growth charts best reflect the genetic and ethnic characteristics of a population. The aim of this study was to compare length/height, body weight, and body mass index (BMI) in healthy Turkish children of ages 0 to 18 with those proposed by WHO as the international growth standards. Methods: percentile curves for length/height, weight, and BMI in Turkish children were plotted together with respective WHO data. Results: percentile values were higher in Turkish children. The differences were particularly noteworthy at ages 1-2 years and in the pubertal years. Conclusion: WHO growth standards do not reflect the growth of Turkish children and may substantially alter the prevalence of short stature and underweight in Turkish children in the 0-5 years age group. When assessing the nutritional and growth status of children, national growth standards may be more appropriate.

Source: Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology

DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2022.2021-9-10