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Standardized national growth chart of 0-5-year-old Saudi children
Y al-Mazrou1, M M al-Amood, T Khoja
1Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ymazrou@kfshhub.kfshrc.edu.sa
Insights
Saudi children aged 0-5 years have established national growth standards for weight, height, and head circumference. These findings support routine growth monitoring in Saudi Arabia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Establishing accurate growth standards is crucial for monitoring child development.
- Existing growth charts may not accurately reflect the Saudi pediatric population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct national growth standards for weight, height, and head circumference for Saudi children aged 0-5 years.
- To develop a growth chart for routine monitoring of Saudi children's growth in healthcare settings.
Main Methods:
- A national survey involving 24,000 Saudi children (12,000 males, 12,000 females) aged 0-5 years.
- Random sampling across five regions, with 200 children per monthly age group.
- Data collection followed WHO recommendations using calibrated equipment and trained personnel.
Main Results:
- Saudi boys (0-5 years) were found to be heavier and taller than Saudi girls.
- Median weights and heights for Saudi children exceeded Harvard standards.
- A national growth chart was successfully constructed.
Conclusions:
- The study provides essential national growth standards for Saudi children.
- The developed growth chart is suitable for nationwide growth monitoring programs.
- These standards will aid in the early detection of growth abnormalities in Saudi children.
Abstract:
A national survey was carried out to achieve the following objectives: (1) construction of national standards for Saudi children, 0-5 years old, with regard to weight, height and head circumference for males and females; (2) construction of a growth chart for weight, height and head circumference for 0-5-year-old Saudi children that can be used at hospitals and health centres in the Kingdom for routine follow-up of the growth of these children. To achieve these objectives, the WHO recommendations were applied. A total of 24,000 Saudi children, 12,000 males and 12,000 females, were selected randomly representing the five regions of the Kingdom with 200 children in each monthly age group. Demographic data as well as the anthropometric measurements were recorded by well-trained personnel using a pretested questionnaire and new, well calibrated equipment. The current study showed that Saudi boys (0-5 years old) were heavier and taller than Saudi girls in the same age group, and that the median weights and heights of Saudi boys and girls (0-5 years old) were more than those of the Harvard standards. A growth chart was constructed which was suitable for growth monitoring programmes all over the Kingdom.