Comparative study on the early growth of preterm infants with the World Health Organization growth standards and the China growth charts

Background: This study focused on comparing the applicability and efficacy of the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and the China growth charts in diagnosing malnutrition and indicating nutritional interventions in preterm infants. Methods: Six hundred and eighty-three preterm infants were involved and their anthropometric data were collected. The proportion of weight and head circumference less than the 10th percentile (P-10), weight less than the 25th percentile (P-25), and weight for length greater than the 90th percentile (P-90) identified by the WHO growth standards and the China growth charts were compared. Results: At corrected age (CA) 1 similar to< 2 months (m), the proportion of head circumference <P-10 assessed by the WHO growth standards was higher than that assessed by the China growth charts by approximately 4.4% in boys and 6.6% in girls. During infancy, both boys and girls had lower proportions of weight <P-10 and weight <P-25 with the WHO growth standards than with the China growth charts: 5.1% and 5.6%, respectively, for weight <P-10 and 7.0% and 8.8%, respectively, for weight <P-25. For boys older than CA 1 m and for girls older than CA 3 m, the proportion of weight-for-length >P-90 assessed by the WHO growth standards was greater than that assessed by the China growth charts. Conclusions: Compared with the China growth charts, the WHO growth standards can further reduce the number of diagnoses of abnormal physical growth, are more helpful in avoiding overnutrition interventions, and are more sensitive in the early detection of delayed head circumference growth.