Abstract

"This article describes the process of implementation of WHO growth standards in the Chilean National Nursery Schools Council Program (JUNJI) and how will influence the beneficiary's nutritional status estimates. Using the 2009 anthropometric data collected by the program, we compare nutritional estimates using the NCHS 1978 reference and the WHO 2006 growth standards. The use of the new WHO growth standards will determine a decrease in under nutrition (weight for height z score < -2 DS) in infants from 1.1 to 0.5% while in all children less than 5y of age will increase stunting (height for age z score < -2 SD; from 5.7 to 7.3% in children less than 2y and from 2.3 to 4.2% in children 2 to 5y), and overweight (weight for height > lSD from 19.6 to 29% in children less than 2y, and from 20.6 to 28.9 in children 2 to 5y) and obesity (weight for height>2 SD; from 8.2 to 11.4% in children less than 2y and from 8.3 to 13.5% in children 2 to 5y ). The WHO growth standards describe the growth of children that receive optimal feeding and that live in optimal conditions. The implementation of the WHO growth curves at the JUNJI program is taken place in a sequential and well-planned way that will allow not only to optimize growth monitoring at the program but also to promote short and long-term health of the beneficiaries."