Mid-upper-arm circumference growth between 1-and 36-month-old children in Lome (Togo)

Background. - Mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) is widely used as a nutrit ional status index for children. The aim of our study was to construct MUAC -for-age curves for well-fed 1-36-month-old children of a developing countr y and to compare them with the WHO reference charts based on samples of Ame rican children. Population and Methods. - Five thousand thirty-eight boys and 4,972 girls a ged 1-36 months were recruited cross-sectionally from 1994 to 1997. Their M UAC were measured as recommended by the WHO. To develop the curves, estimat ions were first obtained for the mean and standard deviation (SD) of MUAC f or each month of age using a 7-month segmental regression equation; the Cou nt model and 2nd degree polynomial in age were then used to describe the me an and SD respectively. Results. - These curves showed important differences for age and sex and we re lower than the reference curves, particularly for the older children. Th e mean curve was -0.44 to -0.75 SD for boys and 0 to -0.8 SD for girls, far from the WHO's reference. Conclusions. - The authors proposed to take into account the WHO's nutritio nal recommendations and developing country features in the construction of the reference charts. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.