Modern approaches to the physical development indicators in children in their first months of life

Abstract

The design of new growth standards for infants in first years of life is one of the important problems in pediatrics today. Clinical issues showed, that body mass indices are not representative for body composition and couldn’t be used as indicators of growth harmony. In definite periods of age, body mass indices correlate with fat-free and fat mass and can be predictors of metabolic disturbances in adulthood. Child’s feeding in first year of life substantially influences to monthly gain of weight, height and head circumference; growth rate is also determined of gestational age. For growth assessment in premature infants, especially born before 27 week of pregnancy, special centile growth curves with considering of feeding and modern nursing tactics should have be used.