Growth standards for the Third World

Nutrition and health in the first year of life on a Pacific atoll. Observations on Abemama Atoll, Central Pacific

The growth of 50 children on a coral atoll has been studied during their first year of life. Initially the population median weight rose above the international norm, but later declined, resulting in a median weight at 12 months below this norm. Data on age of introduction of foods, diarrhoeal illness and general morbidity indicated an association between growth faltering and episodes of fever between four and 12 months but no association with diarrhoea. No statistically significant relationships were found between the age of introducing solid food and the age of first diarrhoea, or between the ages of introduction of protein or energy foods and growth faltering. The effects of fever on growth are probably mediated by temporary appetite suppression in the context of marginal nutrition accentuated by the difficulties of weaning. Records of village or home treated illnesses highlight the discrepancies between village and health service based records.

Standards for growth in prepubertal primary school Kuwaiti children, a cross-sectional study

In a cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements were made in Kuwaiti primary school children aged six to nine years. The sample included 6765 children, of whom there were 3534 boys and 3231 girls. A minimum of 400 children were included in each of the 16 age-sex groups studied. Anthropometric data are presented as percentiles for weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height. The results were smoothed and figures were constructed for the three growth standards. A comparison between locally constructed standards and a Western reference growth standard (Tanner et al.) revealed marked similarities in attainable growth. We think that the Western reference standards are suitable for use in Kuwait and probably in other similar developing countries, and the setting of lower targets for those countries is not recommended.