[Comparing Argentinian reference with WHO standards for the anthropometric evaluation of children less than 5...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• New World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards derived from a multicenter study of healthy children.
• Children in the WHO study adhered to strict health criteria, including breastfeeding and non-smoking recommendations.
• Established Argentine growth references exist for anthropometric evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the existing Argentine growth references with the new WHO growth standards.
• To evaluate anthropometric measurements in a population of children under five years old in Argentina.

Main Methods:

• An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study involving 474 children under five years old.
• Standardized anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were collected using SAP-standardized instruments and techniques.
• Data were analyzed using EPI6/ANTCONV for Argentine references and ANTHRO 2005 for WHO standards, employing t-tests and Chi-squared tests.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in the proportion of children below -2 Standard Deviations (DS) for height-for-age between Argentine references (8.2%) and WHO standards (12.2%).
• A significant difference was observed in weight-for-age below -2 DS, with Argentine references identifying 5.1% and WHO standards identifying 2.1% (p=0.014).
• The WHO standards identified a higher percentage of children with short stature (height-for-age < -2 DS) from 12 months onwards.

Conclusions:

• The WHO growth standards identify a greater number of children with short stature compared to Argentine references from 12 months of age.
• Conversely, the WHO standards identified fewer children with low weight-for-age compared to Argentine references.
• These discrepancies suggest important differences in the anthropometric evaluation of children under five using the two sets of standards.