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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Crosssectional growth curves for height, weight and body mass index for affluent Indian children, 2007

V V Khadilkar1, A V Khadilkar, T J Cole

  • 1Growth and Paediatric Endocrine Research Unit, Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital, 32, Sassoon Road, Pune, India. akhadilkar@vsnl.net

Indian Pediatrics
|June 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Updated growth charts for Indian children aged 5-18 show significant increases in height and weight compared to previous data. These new reference curves are essential for accurate growth monitoring in contemporary Indian youth.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Anthropometry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Accurate growth assessment is vital for child healthcare.
  • Growth monitoring relies on up-to-date reference data.
  • Population growth patterns evolve, necessitating regular reference updates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop current growth curves for Indian children aged 5 to 18 years.
  • To provide updated reference data for height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional, multicentric, school-based study was conducted.
  • Measurements were taken from 19,834 children across India.
  • Data from 18,666 children were analyzed using the LMS method to generate smoothed percentile curves.

Main Results:

  • Indian children aged 5-18 are generally taller and heavier than in previous data.
  • Significant increases in height percentiles were observed for both boys and girls.
  • Children are reaching taller statures at younger ages.

Conclusions:

  • Contemporary, cross-sectional reference percentile curves for height, weight, and BMI have been established.
  • These curves are crucial for assessing the physical growth of present-day Indian children.
  • The updated data reflect changes in growth patterns and support accurate child health monitoring.
Abstract

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