# The Science of Growth Monitoring: Beyond the Basics

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how growth charts are made and used to track children's growth and health.

## Contribution

The paper provides a detailed comparison of CDC and WHO growth chart methodologies and their clinical relevance.

## Key findings

- CDC and WHO growth charts differ due to distinct reference populations and construction methods.
- Growth charts are essential tools for assessing health and wellness in children.
- Understanding chart construction helps in their proper clinical application.

## Abstract

Growth charts are widely used as a clinical and research tool to assess physical growth performance of infants, children, and adolescents. They have been widely accepted as indicators of health and wellness. CDC and WHO growth charts are well known and used for tracking childhood growth. The differences between WHO and CDC growth curves are largely attributable to distinct reference population and curve construction methodologies. The aim of this review is to focus on the construction, utilization, as well as clinical significance of the CDC and WHO growth charts.