Trends in Anthropometric Measurements of Internationally Adopted Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Growth and Development
• International Adoption Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Internationally adopted children face risks to growth and development.
• Existing growth charts may not accurately reflect this population due to diverse origins.
• Standardized growth evaluation is lacking for internationally adopted children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe anthropometric measurements in internationally adopted children.
• To identify growth patterns and variations based on geographic origin.
• To contribute data for improved health assessments of adopted children.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 882 patients from an international adoption clinic (2010-2017).
• Collected anthropometric data including weight, height, head circumference, and body mass index.
• Converted measurements to Z-scores for standardized comparison.

Main Results:

• Data represented 41 countries and 16 subregions.
• Positive mean Z-scores for weight were observed in Central America, northern Africa, southern Africa, and southern Europe.
• Southeast Asia had the lowest mean weight Z-score (-1.76).
• No subregion showed a positive mean Z-score for height; Western Asia had the lowest (-2.44).
• Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-scores were positive in several subregions.

Conclusions:

• Growth is a critical indicator of health and developmental outcomes.
• This study provides valuable insights into the growth trajectories of internationally adopted children.
• Findings can inform clinical practice and future research on this population.