New Child Growth Charts To Help UCSF Pediatricians Teach About Obesity

by Phyllis Brown Newly released World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards for infants and young children aim to give "guidance on how every child in the world should grow." They may also create "teachable moments" for American pediatricians, says Carol Miller, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics and director of the Well Baby Nursery and Pediatric Primary Care at UCSF Children's Hospital. Why? Because the newly revised charts, which give pediatricians a more accurate gauge of children's physiological development and well-being, could show that up to 30 percent of babies in Western countries are overweight. "These charts are based on a much more expansive group of children worldwide from seven countries representing a variety of ethnic backgrounds from both urban and rural settings," Miller said. "That's appropriate especially for a country as diverse as the United States." Many Western babies are raised on infant formula, however. As a result, they are not as lean as their breastfed counterparts. "If we're saying that a breastfed infant is a healthier infant, then this could help us advance our rate of breastfeeding," Miller said. "And it will help us raise the issue of overweight, obesity and lifestyle with parents from the time their child is an infant."