When to use CDC vs. Who growth chart?

Understanding When to Use CDC vs. WHO Growth Charts
In the realm of pediatric health, growth charts serve as essential tools for monitoring the growth and development of children. However, the choice between using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts and the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts can significantly impact clinical assessments and health outcomes.
WHO Growth Charts for Infants and Young Children
The WHO growth charts are specifically designed to reflect the growth patterns of healthy infants and young children under optimal health and environmental conditions. These charts are based on a global standard that includes data from diverse populations, making them particularly useful for assessing growth in children aged 0 to 24 months. The CDC recommends that clinicians in the United States utilize the WHO growth charts for this age group, as they provide a more accurate representation of growth during the rapid developmental phase of infancy .
One of the key advantages of the WHO charts is their focus on breastfed infants, which aligns with current recommendations for infant feeding. The WHO standards are particularly beneficial for tracking growth in the early months, where rapid changes occur. They allow for a more nuanced understanding of growth patterns, especially in breastfed infants, who may show different growth trajectories compared to those fed with formula.
CDC Growth Charts for Older Children
Once a child reaches 24 months, the CDC growth charts become the recommended tool for monitoring growth. These charts are based on data collected from children in the United States and provide a reference for assessing growth from ages 2 to 19 years. The CDC charts include various metrics such as weight-for-age, height-for-age, and body mass index (BMI)-for-age, which are crucial for identifying potential health issues like obesity or underweight conditions.
The transition to CDC charts at age two is important because they are tailored to the growth patterns observed in the U.S. population, reflecting the dietary and lifestyle factors prevalent in the country. This makes them particularly relevant for pediatricians and healthcare providers working within the U.S. context.
Key Differences and Recommendations
In summary, the choice between WHO and CDC growth charts hinges on the child’s age and the context of their growth assessment. For children under 24 months, the WHO growth charts are preferred due to their focus on optimal growth conditions and breastfeeding. For children aged 2 years and older, the CDC growth charts are the standard, providing a relevant reference for growth patterns in the U.S. population.
This dual approach ensures that healthcare providers can accurately monitor growth and development, tailoring their assessments to the specific needs of infants and older children alike. By understanding when to use each set of charts, clinicians can better support the health and well-being of their pediatric patients.

What does CDC growth chart mean?

Growth charts are percentile curves showing the distribution of selected body measurements in children. Growth charts are used by pediatricians, nurses, and parents to track the growth of infants, children, and adolescents.

Why does the CDC recommend using the CDC developed growth charts after 2 years of age?

Use of the CDC growth charts for children aged 24–59 months is recommended. The CDC charts also should be used for older children because the charts extend up to age 20 years, whereas the WHO standards described in this report apply only to children aged 0–59 months.

What is the main purpose of using the WHO growth chart?

It is intended primarily for health care providers who measure and assess the growth of children or who supervise these activities.

At what age do practitioners switch from using the who growth charts to the CDC growth charts when assessing growth in children?

2 years
The use of BMI-for-age is not recommended for children younger than 2 years. At age 2 years, health care providers should switch from using WHO growth standards to CDC’s growth charts. Providers should use caution in interpreting any changes in a child’s classification.’);})();(function(){window.jsl.dh(‘G-lnZ7TlJ5SowPAP8ca_yAk__37′,’

When to use CDC chart?

The WHO growth standards should be used for children younger than 2 years. The CDC growth reference charts should be used for children and adolescents 2 to 20 years.

Which CDC growth chart is most appropriate to use in determining whether a school age child is overweight or underweight?

For most children and adolescents, the 2000 CDC BMI-for-age growth charts remain the most appropriate tool to assess growth and weight status.

Which growth chart is best?

Use World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Standard Charts for children from birth to 2 years. Use 2000 CDC Growth Charts for children and adolescents 2 years and older. Use 2022 CDC Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts if children and adolescents have a very high BMI (above the 97th percentile).

What is the best chart for growth rate?

A Dual Axis Line Chart is one of the best graphs for presenting growth year-over-year. The chart has a secondary axis to help you display insights into two varying data points. More so, it uses two axes to easily illustrate the relationships between two variables with different magnitudes and scales of measurement.

Why do we use CDC?

CDC is a very efficient way to move data across a wide area network, so it’s perfect for the cloud. Change data capture is also well suited for moving data into a stream processing solution like Apache Kafka. CDC ensures that data in multiple systems stays in sync.

Which growth chart to use, who or CDC?

CDC recommends using WHO Child Growth Standards in U.S. clinical settings for children from birth to 2 years. They are scaled for both English and metric measurements. For children from birth to 2 years, the WHO charts include: Boys’ weight-for-length percentiles and head circumference-for-age percentiles.