Incremental Growth Charts for Newborns and Infants

Nutritional status can be assessed by growth increments.

• Growth increments are sensitive to the time interval between measurements because growth occurs as a series of intermittent small or large spurts, which vary in magnitude according to age, sex, maturational status, and season.
  
  • Comparison of a growth increment based on a longer or shorter interval than that used in the reference curve may overestimate or underestimate incremental growth status.
  • Growth increments should be based on accurate growth measurements, carefully calculated, and compared with reference values based on similar time intervals.
  • The accuracy of growth increments depends on the accuracy and precision of the 2 measurements on which it is calculated.

WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Incremental Growth Charts for 0 to 24 months:

• Reference measures - Weight increment and velocity; length increment and velocity; head increment and circumference velocity
• Reference data – Longitudinal data from an international sample of healthy children with optimal conditions for growth (eg, breastfed)
• Comments:
  • For ages 0–60 days: increments of 1 to 2 weeks for weight
  • For ages 0–12 months: increments of 1 months for weight
  • For ages 0 to 12 months: 2-and 3-month increments for head circumference
  • For ages 0 to 24 months: 4- and 6-month increments for head circumference
  • For ages 0–24 months: increments of 2 to 6 months for weight and length
  • For ages 0-24 months: 2 to 6 month increments for length
• Charts
  • Length velocity (2, 3, 4 and 6 month increments)
  • Head circumference velocity (2, 3, 4, and 6 month increments)