The survey and analysis of the growth and development of urban children under 2 years old in Guangzhou in 2007

Objective To analyze and evaluate the growth and nutritional status of urban children under 2 years old in Guangzhou. Methods A total of 1 874 healthy children in 8 communities in Guangzhou were included , the height and weight were measured, and the family status, feeding history, parental educational degree were surveyed. Results There was no significant difference of the gender in urban children under 2 years old (P 0.05). The height, weight and BMI were not significantly different between male and female (P 0.05), and were lower than the 2005 national standards (P 0.05). The detection rate of low weight was low, and there were 0.74%-3.8% of children whose WAZ -2, also there were cases whose WAZ 2. Meanwhile, there were 0.68%-7.59% of children whose HAZ -2, and were 1.85%-7.14% of children whose HAZ 2. Conclusion The combination of weight, height, and BMI could more objectively reflect the children′s growth and nutritional status.