[Comparing Argentinian reference with WHO standards for the anthropometric evaluation of children less than 5 year-old].
BACKGROUND
The new WHO growth standards, were the result of a multicenter growth reference study, performed on a sample of children with rigorous criteria of health, with families that had complied with the health recommendations that are made in the field of breastfeeding and not smoking.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the argentine references with the WHO standard for the anthropometric evaluation of a population of children under 5 years.


METHODS
474 children younger than 5 years old who attended the Municipal Health Centers during October 2004.


METHODS
Children were weighed and measured with instruments and techniques standardized by SAP. The study design was observational, cross-sectional, descriptive. We used EPI6/ ANTCONV for Argentine reference and ANTRHRO 2005 for WHO standard T test for two samples, P (T < t) two tails, and Chi 2.


RESULTS
Total 474, 231 boys and 243 girls. Height/ age minor - 2 DS: Argentine reference= 39 (8.2%) and WHO= 58 (12.2%), not significant. Weight/age minor -2DS: Argentine reference= 24 (5.1%) and WHO= 10 (Chi 2 p = 0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
WHO standards, from 12 months on, selected the largest number of children with short stature, and, regarding weight, it happened the opposite, they selected less children with low weight/age.
Anigstein
Carlos
C
Dirección de Salud, Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos. canigstein@intramed.net
Kerai
Viviana
V
Acosta
Amelia
A
Moranelli de Zárate
Angela
A
Martinolich
Andrés
A
Cabrera
Diana
D
Portela
Jorge
J
Lerner
Mario
M
Corfield
Liliana
L
Frutos
Mario
M
Delmagro
Julia
J
Roa
Santiago
S
Esparapan
Inés
I
Odriozola
Norma
N
Schneider
Viviana
V
D001118:Argentina; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014944:World Health Organization