Hong Kong children’s growth charts will undergo their first update since 1993, as local children have become taller and heavier in recent years, the health authorities said on Monday.
The updated growth charts, used to monitor whether a child’s height, weight, head measurements and body mass index are within the average range, will be adopted by maternity and child health centers from July, and then by student health service centers and public hospitals from September, the Department of Health said.
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The new growth charts, named Hong Kong 2020, are based on the findings of the Hong Kong Growth Study, co-conducted by the government, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The study analyzed children’s growth data collected from 21,307 infants, children, and adolescents in the city.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday morning, Thomas Chung, a medical expert with the department, said the study found that children and adolescents in today’s Hong Kong are typically taller and heavier compared with the 1993 data, particularly at pubescence.
... the median height of an 18-year-old had increased from 170.9 centimeters to 172.5 cm for boys, and from 158.2 cm to 160.2 cm for girls in 2020, Chung (Thomas Chung, a medical expert) said
For instance, the median height of an 18-year-old had increased from 170.9 centimeters to 172.5 cm for boys, and from 158.2 cm to 160.2 cm for girls in 2020, Chung said.
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The study team believes that the 1993 measurements may no longer be relevant when assessing the growth of children and adolescents today, and therefore an updated system is necessary to better monitor children’s physical development, Chung said.
The Hong Kong 2020 standards will use the body mass index, instead of the weight-for-height chart in the 1993 standards, to identify any weight problems.
As obesity is less often seen in younger children, the study team adopted the World Health Organization’s practice of screening children under 5 years old with a high BMI level as the definition of for being overweight or obese, Chung added.
The study also found that the growth data for Hong Kong children under 5 years old are in line with the WHO 2006 standards.
As a result, the study team suggested that the government use the Hong Kong 2020 standards for measuring the development of all children under 18, Chung said. For newborns under 5 years old, especially non-Chinese children, doctors can also use the WHO 2006 standards to assess their growth rates.
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Chung added that the department has accepted the advice of the study team, and plans to introduce Hong Kong 2020 to maternity and child health centers across the city in July, and then to student health service centers and public hospitals.
The department hopes that the new standards will be adopted by all hospitals in Hong Kong by the end of this year.
Chung added that the department will continue to provide relevant information to help parents monitor their children’s growth, and organize briefing sessions, training, and educational activities with research teams and other professional organizations on the issue.
