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Nutrition pédiatrique

Growth Curve

Visual tool to track and evaluate the normality of physical growth in children, detecting anomalies.

Definition

Graphical representation of an child's weight, height, and other anthropometric parameters over time, compared to reference standards (WHO or national curves).

How it works

Established from statistical data from large populations of healthy children, growth curves include percentiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) to locate the child relative to peers of the same age and sex.

Role

Early detection tool for growth abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, and general health problems in children.

Examples

  • WHO growth charts for children 0-5 years old
  • National French growth charts for children 0-18 years old
  • Height-for-age charts
  • Weight-for-age charts
  • Body mass index (BMI) charts
  • Circumferential head charts

Recommendations

Keep child health records and attend regular follow-up consultations. Consult your pediatrician if the growth curve deviates suddenly from its usual trajectory or crosses extreme percentile lines. Use growth charts as a guide, not absolute judgment.

Key takeaway

Regular follow-up on growth curves is a simple yet powerful tool to ensure healthy growth and quickly detect problems.

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