EC Paediatrics

Background: Anthropometry plays a vital role in assessing growth, nutritional status, and overall health of children and adults in India. As a developing country with diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, India faces a dual burden of undernutrition and obesity. Anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, body mass index, head circumference, and mid-upper arm circumference are essential tools for early identification of malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and growth abnormalities. These measurements help in monitoring child development, planning public health programs, and evaluating the effectiveness of nutritional interventions. Therefore, anthropometry is indispensable in improving healthcare outcomes and promoting healthy growth in the Indian population.

Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study done in pediatric OPD in a tertiary care hospital, Southern India. Anthropometric parameters of 100 children attending routine clinical visits including weight, length/height and head circumference were measured according to standard procedures. These values are plotted in WHO growth charts and compared with international and previously published regional norms.

Results: Maximum participants belong to age group of 0 - 6 months (82%) while most of the children fall within normal ranges of percentile for WHO weight for age centiles. The cohort demonstrated a mean weight of 5.26 kg with a standard deviation of 2.8 kg mean length of 59.6 cm with a standard deviation of 15 cm and mean head circumference is 36.0 cm with standard deviation of 3 cm.

Conclusion: The study findings demonstrate that the majority of patients had anthropometric measurements within the normal ranges of the WHO percentile charts, indicating generally appropriate growth patterns in the study population. Strong positive correlations were observed between age and all anthropometric parameters, indicating consistent growth trends across the study population.

Keywords: Anthropometric Parameters; Growth; Children

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