title: Body mass index of children from the United Kingdom diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to ascertain the Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg m(-2)) derived from parental reports of height (metres) and weight (kilograms) of a pilot sample of boys born and resident in the UK diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of parental reporting of height and weight measurements in boys (n=50) diagnosed with PDD and comparison with age and sex-matched reference populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients were above the 50th percentile for height (70%), weight (74%) and BMI (80%) with 21% exceeding cut-off points for overweight and 10% for clinical obesity. There were no significant differences (P < 0.05) found between PDD subgroups for any of the measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are required to validate findings of skewed height, weight and BMI data in PDD.
authors.affiliation: Autism Research Unit, University of Sunderland, UK. paul.whiteley@sunderland.ac.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whiteley
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dodou
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shattock
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D006113:United Kingdom