Position Papers

DC consults with members and other experts to develop opinions, positions, messages and advice on food and nutrition issues. It is because of this informed view that consumers trust the advice of dietitians. Our most recent position papers include:


Promoting Optimal Monitoring of Child Growth in Canada: Using the New WHO Growth Charts

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Understanding the new WHO Growth Charts Understanding the new WHO Growth Charts

February 08, 2010

The recent release of the WHO Growth Standards and Growth References has prompted a re-evaluation of which growth charts are appropriate for monitoring and assessing the growth of Canadian children.  Promoting Optimal Monitoring of Child Growth in Canada: Using the New WHO Growth Charts was developed collaboratively by Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, The College of Family Physicians of Canada and Community Health Nurses of Canada. The statement is intended for use as a practice guideline for health professionals. The desired outcome is the promotion of consistent practices in monitoring growth and assessing patterns of linear growth and weight gain in infants, children and adolescents to support healthy child growth and development. (Can J Diet Pract Res 2010; Spring Online Journal.

Download the following documents in PDF format:

 

  • The complete collaborative statement

  • The Executive Summary
  • A Health Professional's Guide to Using the new WHO Growth Charts 
    - outlines the ways to use and interpret the 2006 WHO Growth Standards and the WHO Growth References 2007 to assess physical growth in infants, children and adolescents

    •  Growth Monitoring of Infants and Children Using the 2006 World Health Organization [WHO] Child Growth Standards and 2007 WHO Growth References - Questions and Answers for Health Professionals
    - outlines the ways to use and interpret the 2006 WHO Growth Standards and the WHO Growth References 2007 to assess physical growth in infants, children and adolescents

  • Is My Child Growing Well? Questions and Answers for Parents
    - a fact sheet designed for parent education

  •  Set of WHO Growth Charts  -- adapted for Canada for the Primary Care Setting

     To view the PDF files, you need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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