Nursery World - Baby growth charts 'need changing'

The UK should adopt the World Health Organisation (WHO) system of measuring child growth on breast-fed babies rather than faster-growing formula-fed babies, according to a new report.

WHO Growth Standards depict a slower weight gain between the ages offour and 24 months compared with current UK growth charts, which arebased mostly on formula-fed infants. There are concerns that the chartsused in Britain may encourage parents to overfeed young children,increasing their risk of obesity and disease in later life.

A joint report published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and ChildHealth (RCPCH) and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutritionrecommends that WHO Growth Standards are applied to children aged twoweeks to 24 months old.

The Department of Health, which recommends exclusively breastfeeding upto six months, welcomed the report and announced a pilot study toanalyse how to implement a new system. Public health minister DawnPrimarolo said, 'New standards will help alleviate mothers' concernsregarding the difference in growth patterns often observed betweenbreast-fed and formula-fed babies.'

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