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. 2014 Jun;103(6):e251-e261.
doi: 10.1111/apa.12587. Epub 2014 Mar 4.

Updated Japanese growth references for infants and preschool children, based on historical, ethnic and environmental characteristics

Noriko Kato  1 , Hidemi Takimoto  2 , Tetsuji Yokoyama  3 , Susumu Yokoya  4 , Toshiaki Tanaka  5 , Hiroshi Tada  6
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Updated Japanese growth references for infants and preschool children, based on historical, ethnic and environmental characteristics

Noriko Kato et al. Acta Paediatr. 2014 Jun.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Aim: To provide updated growth references for Japanese children from birth to 6 years of age, for use in both growth monitoring and child care.

Methods: We analysed data from two national representative surveys that provided cross-sectional data on 3000 areas in the 2005 national census and longitudinal data from 136 hospitals. Growth references for length/height, weight, head circumference and chest circumference were constructed using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method, with estimates of the L, M and S parameters. These updated values were then compared with growth references published by the World Health Organization.

Results: The 3rd, 50th and 97th smoothed percentile values of length/height, weight, head circumference and chest circumference for boys and girls from birth to 6 years are presented. The comparisons show some large differences in median measurements between the charts.

Conclusion: Our growth references are based on a current, nationally representative sample of Japanese children. The results provide deep insight into child growth from a historical, ethnic and environmental point of view.

Keywords: Growth reference; Infants; LMS method; Neonatal weight loss; Preschool children.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the median length/height of boys and girls in three Japanese references as standard deviation scores compared with the WHO 2006 reference. The Japan 2010 reference in the present study, Japan 2000 reference 9, Japan 1970 reference 6, WHO 2006 reference 16.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of the median weight of boys and girls in three Japanese references as standard deviation scores compared with the WHO 2006 reference. The Japan 2010 reference in the present study, Japan 2000 reference 9, Japan 1970 reference 6, WHO 2006 reference 16.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of selected percentiles for weight references Japan 2010 reference in the present study, WHO 2006 reference 16. The three lines correspond to the 3rd, 50th and 97th percentile values from the lower to the upper lines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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