Presentation Information

Healthy Babies: What We Can Learn from Infant Growth Charts

• Speaker: Prashant Gangal , MD, DCH, IBCLC
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 ACM CPD, 1 ACNM CEU, 0.1 Midwifery CEU

Abstract:

Infancy is a period of rapid growth & development. Any adversity has a profound impact on physical, mental & psychological outcomes for entire life. Growth Charts are the meter of infant's Nutrition-Health-Nurturing & reflect any adversity. Hence, tracking infant growth is important.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released new international growth standards in 2006 to monitor growth of children 0-59 months of age. All Health Care Providers should use these charts to complement Infant & Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) Counselling. Every growth chart has a story to tell. I found WHO growth charts to be accurate and extremely useful for knowing past events and use the information to promote optimal growth and development in future. Every contact with the child in general & especially immunization is an opportunity to discuss nutrition & development. The concepts of Severe Acute Malnutrition and Mild Acute Malnutrition (SAM-MAM) need to be understood.

The Infant feeding professionals should also understand science behind WHO Growth Charts and how to use this information for ideal IYCN Counselling. Prematurely born infants need different charts for monitoring growth during infancy & experts need to be aware about the current concepts & opinions of monitoring growth of Premature & Low Birth Weight infants. Impact of individual components of breastmilk on growth is the new science frontier.