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Age at which chest circumference overtakes head circumference in children
K R Sundaram1, V Seth, T K Jena
1Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|January 1, 1995
Summary
The age when chest circumference (CC) surpasses head circumference (HC) indicates child nutrition status. Delays in this growth marker signal severe malnutrition, offering a simple tool for assessing childhood nutrition in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Childhood malnutrition remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in developing countries.
- Assessing nutritional status often relies on complex or resource-intensive methods.
- Head circumference (HC) and chest circumference (CC) are easily measurable anthropometric indicators in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the median age at which chest circumference (CC) overtakes head circumference (HC) in children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
- To investigate the association between the age of CC overtaking HC and the severity of childhood malnutrition.
- To evaluate the utility of the CC/HC crossing point as a simple indicator for monitoring childhood nutrition trends.
Main Methods:
- A maximum likelihood method with probit transformation was employed.
- Data were collected from 1206 children in rural Haryana and 1505 children from urban slums in Delhi.
- Children were categorized based on nutritional status (normal, Grade I malnutrition, Grade II or worse malnutrition).
Main Results:
- In rural and urban slum populations, CC overtook HC at average ages of 31.36 and 28 months, respectively.
- In normally nourished children, this phenomenon occurred around 20-21 months of age.
- Malnutrition significantly delayed the CC/HC crossing point: Grade I malnutrition delayed it by ~10 months, and Grade II+ by an additional 9-13 months compared to Grade I (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- A delayed age of chest circumference (CC) overtaking head circumference (HC) is strongly associated with increased risk of severe childhood malnutrition.
- The CC/HC crossing point is a potentially valuable, easily applicable tool for assessing long-term trends in childhood nutrition improvement in resource-limited settings.
- This anthropometric marker offers a practical approach for public health initiatives focused on child well-being.