title: [Growth references for Norwegian children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The growth charts currently used in Norway, are based on measurements from the 1970s and 80s. New data are available from the Bergen Growth Study collected in 2003 - 6. In 2006, WHO published international charts for 0-5 year-old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  New growth charts based on data from the Bergen Growth Study and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway are presented for children aged 0-19 years. These were compared with existing references and with the WHO curves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Norwegian children aged 0-4 years have length, height and weight measurements that are only marginally different from those in the Norwegian growth charts in current use. In older children there has been an increase in the 50-percentile for height up to 3.4 cm in boys and 2.5 cm in girls. For children older than four years, weight for height has increased, especially for the upper percentiles. The percentile lines in the new Norwegian reference are generally positioned above the WHO standard for weight at birth, and for length/height, weight and head circumference in the age group 6 months to 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The secular trends in growth mirror the need for new charts. The fact that Norwegian children differ from the WHO standards may reflect population differences relating to environment or growth potential between the populations.
authors.affiliation: Seksjon for endokrinologi og metabolisme, Barneklinikken, Haukeland universitetssykehus, 5021 Bergen. petur.juliusson@helse-bergen.no
authors.forename: Pétur B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Júlíusson
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roelants
authors.forename: Geir Egil
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moster
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juul
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hauspie
authors.forename: Per Erik
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Waaler
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bjerknes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult