Weight Velocity Percentiles in Children Aged 4–17 Years from Pune During 2007–2013

To assess the weight velocity and the age at peak weight velocity and to construct weight velocity percentiles in 4–17-year-old apparently healthy Indian children.

This longitudinal study enrolled 1045 children (588 boys) aged 4–17 years from Pune belonging to middle and upper socioeconomic class. The study parameters included annual height and weight measurements recorded longitudinally from 2007 to 2013. A total of 5225 weight velocity measurements (2940 on boys) were computed. Age- and gender-specific smoothened weight velocity percentiles (3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th) were constructed using LMS chart maker.

The median weight velocity was low in boys and girls at 4 years, thereafter it increased to a peak of 4.6 kg/year at 13 years in boys, then declined to 1.1 kg/year at 17.5 years. In girls, median weight velocity peaked to 4.0 kg/year at 11 years, then declined to 0.8 kg/year at 17.5 years. Peak velocity-centred analysis revealed higher peak weight velocities of 7.5 kg/year at 13.1 years and 6.6 kg/year at 12 years in boys and girls respectively.

Weight velocity percentiles are presented for 4–17-year-old apparently healthy Indian children.