%0 Journal Article
%T Updated Japanese growth references for infants and preschool children, based on historical, ethnic and environmental characteristics.
%A Kato N
%A Takimoto H
%A Yokoyama T
%A Yokoya S
%A Tanaka T
%A Tada H
%J Acta Paediatr
%V 103
%N 6
%D Jun 2014
%M 33622032
%F 4.056
%R 10.1111/apa.12587
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To provide updated growth references for Japanese children from birth to 6 years of age, for use in both growth monitoring and child care.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We analysed data from two national representative surveys that provided cross-sectional data on 3000 areas in the 2005 national census and longitudinal data from 136 hospitals. Growth references for length/height, weight, head circumference and chest circumference were constructed using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method, with estimates of the L, M and S parameters. These updated values were then compared with growth references published by the World Health Organization.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>The 3rd, 50th and 97th smoothed percentile values of length/height, weight, head circumference and chest circumference for boys and girls from birth to 6 years are presented. The comparisons show some large differences in median measurements between the charts.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our growth references are based on a current, nationally representative sample of Japanese children. The results provide deep insight into child growth from a historical, ethnic and environmental point of view.