Growth of Belgian and Norwegian children compared to the WHO growth standards: prevalence below -2 and >2 SD and the effect of breastfeeding

Background New national growth references have been published in Belgium and Norway. The WHO recommends universal use of their 2006 Child Growth Standards based on data from breastfed children. Objective To compare the growth of Belgian and Norwegian children with the WHO standards. Participants 6985 children 0–5 years of age from Belgium and Norway. Design Proportion of children below −2 SD and >2 SD of the WHO standards was calculated for length/height, weight, body mass index and head circumference. Average SD scores of exclusively breastfed children of non-smoking mothers were compared... Mehr ...