Protocolo del estudio para establecer estándares normativos de crecimiento de niños colombianos sanos

BackgroundChildren’s growth is conditioned by genetic, environmental, social and economic factors. Therefore, it is useful to construct growth charts locally. The Fundación Cardio-Infantil, Instituto de Cardiología, and the Asociación Colombiana de Endocrinología Pediátrica (ACEP), with the support of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Colciencias, are developing the normative growth standards which will evaluate the expression of biological potential for Colombian children.ObjectiveTo establish reference anthropometric/auxological data for children and adolescents living in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla, and to develop reference growth charts for the Colombian population.MethodsCross-sectional study (except in the first year of life, when it will be longitudinal) in four large cities in Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla). Boys and girls from 0 to 20 years of age, healthy, from strata 3 and higher (middle to upper class, in order to limit factors that could inhibit the expression of biological potential), are going to be included. Exclusion criteria are any condition (including medications) affecting growth, and if both parents are foreigners. Twenty six thousands five hundred (250 boys and 250 girls for each age group) are to be included. Participants are to be selected using two-stage, stratified probabilistic sampling of elements. Anthropometric measurements are height, weight, head circumference, waist circumference, and sitting height. Reference standard deviations as well as percentile curves will be estimated, reporting the distribution change with three curves (median, coefficient of variation and skewness coefficient)