Children's Growth Charts Don't Measure Up Wi...(ate issue of a child's weight with paren...),Health

Date:9/28/2009

ate issue of a child's weight with parents, Rao pointed out. About 12.4 percent of children 2 to 5 years old are overweight, 17 percent of children aged 6 to 11 are overweight and 17.6 percent of teens aged 12 to 19 are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Many times parents don't recognize that their child is overweight," said Rao, whose clinic uses electronic charts so parents can take home printouts of the result. "We can show the parent where the child is on the growth chart, provide a very detailed explanation of the numbers and make sure the parents are able to understand it. Then we can ask the parents if it's something they would like to work on."

Further research should be done into developing growth charts that are easier for parents to understand, Ben-Joseph added.

"There is a desire by the parents to see the growth chart and have doctors talk to them about it," Ben-Joseph said. "It's important for doctors to be aware that not all parents will understand these complicated mathematical concepts and to take that into account when they are doing the explaining."

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more on growth charts.

SOURCES: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, M.D., consulting medical editor, Nemours Center for Children's Health Media; Goutham Rao, M.D., clinical director, Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; October 2009, Pediatrics, online

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