Analysis of the weights of infants of Bangladeshi origin attending two clinics in Tower Hamlets
Davies, A.G.; Wheeler, E.
Child Care Health and Development 15(3): 167-174
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0305-1862 PMID: 2641668 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.1989.tb00613.xDocument Number: 367045
To assess the suitability of the British Tanner-Whitehouse weight standards for infants of Bangladeshi origin, the weights of 220 such infants attending clinics in Tower Hamlets (London) were taken at birth, 6 months, and 18 months of age and then compared, 1st, with the Tanner- Whitehouse standards and, 2nd, with data from infants in India from affluent families. The mean weight of the Bangladeshi-origin infants was 3.16 kg for males and 3.02 kg for girls at birth, 7.7 kg for males and 7.1 kg for females at 6 months, and 10.6 kg for males and 10.1 kg for females at 18 months. Overall, these weights approximated the Tanner-Whitehouse 25th centile lines, indicating that the Bangladeshi infants were significantly lighter than their British counterparts whose weights were used to derive the Tanner-Whitehouse standards. On the other hand, the Bangladeshi-origin infants were not, as a group, any lighter than well-nourished infants in India. These findings suggest that application of the Tanner-Whitehouse values to Bangladeshi infants in England may lead to the erroneous conclusion that these infants are malnourished or light-for-age. To remedy this situation, it is suggested that the Tanner-Whitehouse's 25th centile be considered the appropriate reference value and be redefined as the 50th centile when applied to Bangladeshi infants.