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New
Growth Charts
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The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has published revised pediatric growth charts
to replace those provided by the National Center for Health Statistics
more than 20 years ago. The new growth charts differ from the familiar
1977 charts in several important ways, including: the data used to construct
the charts, the selection of measures, age ranges, statistical smoothing
methods, and the percentile values that are available. The two new percentile-for-age
Body Mass Index (BMI) growth charts allow pediatric health care providers
to judge whether a child's weight is appropriate for stature and detect
children who are showing signs of being at risk for overweight/obesity.
Routinely tracking BMI
throughout childhood is important because upper level BMIs in childhood
are associated with increased current health risks and increased risks
for morbidity and mortality in adulthood. The new pediatric growth charts
are available in hard copy and on the Internet at the Centers for Disease
Control website (http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/). The website provides
graphic and tabular data for the 3rd, 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th,
95th, and 97th percentiles for each growth measure. It also provides the
85th percentile for Body Mass Index. (Roche A, Guo S. Pediatric Basics
2001; 1 (94):2-13)
Comment: The story
behind the story is that revisions were needed because of the increasing
obesity in the pediatric population. Earlier growth charts merely measured
large numbers of children and reported the percentiles. With these charts,
the 50%ile of today's children would represent overweight. The new charts
represent more an ideal. - R. A.
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