Development - Growth Charts

Question 1

What are growth charts used for?

Answer 1

Plot child’s weight, height and head circumference against normal distribution

Question 2

What is always plotted on the X axis?

Answer 2

Age

Question 3

What are the 3 phases of growth?

Answer 3

First 2 years
Rapid growth driven by nutritional factors

2 years to puberty
Steady slow growth

Puberty
Rapid growth spurt driven by sex hormones

Question 4

What are some common causes of obesity in children?

Answer 4

Readily available
Affordable
Hyper-palatable
High calorie foods
Shift from physical activities to sedentary activities e.g. games and screens

Question 5

How is overweight defined using growth charts?

Answer 5

Over 85th percentile

Question 6

How is obese defined using growth charts?

Answer 6

Over 95th percentile

Question 7

When should an endocrine cause be considered for overweight children?

Answer 7

If short and obese e.g. due to hypothyroidism

Pathological causes are rare

Obese children often tall for their age

Question 8

What are obese children more likely to experience?

Answer 8

Bullying
Impaired glucose tolerance
T2DM
CVD
Arthritis