[Nutritional status of young children: a comparison among three anthropometric classifications].
OBJECTIVE
to compare the usefulness of the methods proposed by Gomez, Waterlow and W.H.O., to classify the nutritional status of children under 2 years of age.


METHODS
the nutritional diagnosis of 436 infants was defined at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age, using the three proposed methods. Predictive values, positive (PV+) and negative (PV-), and agreement coefficient (K) were calculated, comparing the nutritional classification of the children on each method with a gold standard of nutritional diagnosis, based on individual growth performance since their birth.


RESULTS
the three methods showed a good PV-, nearby 0.9, at all tested ages whereas the PV+ and K exhibited lower values. Among the three methods of classification of nutritional status, the method proposed by Gomez achieved the best levels of PV+, PV- and K, at all considered ages, mainly at 18 and 24 months of age.


CONCLUSIONS
the Gomez' method, as an unique criterion, is better than the others, because it has a lower risk of misdiagnosing a case of malnutrition. Nevertheless, this risk is big enough to not recommend its isolated use, mainly during the first year of life,when the risk of a false positive diagnosis of malnutrition is still higher.
Douek
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PC
Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Area de Pediatria do Centro de Saúde Escola Prof Samuel B Pessoa da FMUSP.
Leone
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C