Comparison of the growth standards between Saudi and American children aged 0-5 years.

Objective: To compare the national growth monitoring data with the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth standards, which is currently used in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methods: A cross sectional study following World Health Organization criteria in determining sample size was adopted, whereby 24,000 children from 5 regions were selected to be the desired sample. One hundred and two Primary Health Care centers were also selected randomly from the 5 regions, from where the sample was drawn. A special questionnaire was designed for the data collection. A pilot study was carried out to test the study instruments. Weight, height and head circumference were measured by standard procedures. This data was compared with the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) data.

Results: The total number of children examined was 23,821, 11,913 boys and 11,908 girls, they were drawn from 102 health centers selected randomly. Comparing different percentiles for Saudi and NCHS data, there was a significant difference between the Saudi and American children.

Conclusion: In order to ensure a correct follow up for our children in KSA, the national figures are more appropriate to follow than the NCHS data.