HEIGHT AND WEIGHT REFERENCE CHARTS FOR CHILDREN AGED 2-18 YEARS FROM VERONA, ITALY

Objective: To compile curves for growth in weight and height for Itali an children and adolescents. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: All pri mary and secondary schools in the area of Verona, Italy, between Octob er 1986 and January 1897. Subjects: 20 534 female and 20 345 male chil dren aged 2-18 years. Methods: Weight and height were measured using S alus balances, and age in days was calculated between the date of meas urement and that of birth: centiles of weight and height by age were c alculated by the LMS method of Cole (1990). Results: The height and we ight curves were similar for both boys and girls to those obtained in Switzerland by Prader & Budliger (1977). However pre-pubertal Italian boys and girls are taller and heavier than the standards for France (S empe & Pedron, 1953-1970) or for the UK by Tanner & Whitehouse (1976).