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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Ideal body weight in children

Sharon Phillips1, Angela Edlbeck, Midge Kirby

  • 1Department of Clinical Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

Nutrition in Clinical Practice : Official Publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
|March 22, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Determining ideal body weight (IBW) in children lacks a consensus definition and calculation method. Different methods yield disparate results, especially in older children, highlighting the need for consistent application.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Child health and nutrition
  • Biostatistics and anthropometry

Background:

  • The definition and calculation of ideal body weight (IBW) in pediatric populations lack a universally accepted standard.
  • Accurate assessment of IBW is crucial for monitoring growth, nutritional status, and clinical decision-making in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the discrepancies between different methods for calculating ideal body weight (IBW) in children.
  • To highlight the impact of age and percentile on the variability of IBW calculations.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of three distinct methods for ideal body weight (IBW) calculation: McLaren, Moore, and Body Mass Index (BMI).
  • Analysis of results across different age groups and weight percentiles in pediatric subjects.

Main Results:

  • All three methods (McLaren, Moore, BMI) provide similar IBW estimates for children under 8 years old.
  • Significant discrepancies in IBW calculations emerge among the methods for older children, particularly at the extreme ends of the weight spectrum (lowest and highest percentiles).
  • The choice of IBW calculation method significantly influences results, especially in diverse pediatric populations.

Conclusions:

  • There is no clear consensus on the definition or optimal method for calculating ideal body weight (IBW) in children.
  • Methodological consistency is paramount when assessing ideal body weight (IBW) in pediatric patients to ensure reliable clinical interpretation.
  • Further research is needed to establish standardized guidelines for IBW calculation in children across various age groups and anthropometric profiles.

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