title: Practices in child growth monitoring in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
abstract: Growth reference charts are among the most sensitive and valuable tools for assessing the health and development of children. A questionnaire survey was answered by 16 of the 21 ministries of health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries (EMR) about their use of growth charts for children under 5 years. Most of the countries (13/16) used the NCHS/WHO charts and weight-for-age was the most commonly used. Charts for height-for-age and head circumference-for-age were less commonly used. Problems in the use of charts were identified. The introduction of the new WHO Child Growth Standards, based on exclusively breastfed babies, is a unique opportunity to support growth monitoring and optimal feeding practices in EMR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Benha, Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt. azfadl@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abul-Fadl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bagchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheikh Ismail
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001132:Arm / Q000254:growth & development; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057238:Growth Charts; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006257:Head / Q000254:growth & development; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008877:Middle East; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013397:Sudan; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization