WHO 2006 child growth standards: implications for the prevalence of stunting and underweight-for-age in a birth cohort of Gabonese children in comparison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 growth charts and the National Center for Health Statistics 1978 growth references.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the proportion of children being stunted and underweight-for-age at 3, 9 and 15 months in Lambaréné, Gabon, using the WHO child growth standards released in 2006 as compared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 1978 child growth charts/references.


METHODS
Prospective birth cohort in Lambaréné, Gabon.


METHODS
Two hundred and eighty-nine children from birth to 15 months of age.


METHODS
Weight and length were recorded at 3, 9 and 15 months. Corresponding Z scores for stunting and underweight-for-age were calculated for the three different standards/references. Children with a height-for-age or weight-for-age below -2 SD of the corresponding reference median (Z score < or = -2) were classified as stunted or underweight-for-age, respectively.


RESULTS
With the new WHO 2006 standards a higher proportion (4.0%) of 3-month-old infants were underweight compared with the CDC (1.0%) or the NCHS (0.7%) child growth charts/references. In contrast to the NCHS references or the CDC charts, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months. The proportion of children being stunted was highest (above 20%) with the WHO 2006 standards at all three ages. Again, in contrast to the old standards, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results show considerably different growth faltering patterns for Gabonese children depending on the growth charts used to assess the prevalence of stunting and underweight. Shifting to the new WHO child growth standards may have important implications for child health programmes.
Schwarz
Norbert G
NG
Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon.
Grobusch
Martin P
MP
Decker
Marie-Luise
ML
Goesch
Julia
J
Poetschke
Marc
M
Oyakhirome
Sunny
S
Kombila
Davy
D
Fortin
Julien
J
Lell
Bertrand
B
Issifou
Saadou
S
Kremsner
Peter G
PG
Klipstein-Grobusch
Kerstin
K
D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D014481:United States; D014944:World Health Organization