ABSTRACT
This study aimed at the assessment of growth and nutritional status of preschool children by comparing it with internationally recognized growth standards, using the anthropometric indices of nutritional status. A cross-sectional study was carried out upon a sample of children [N = 660] aged 0-71 months who attended the well-baby clinics in the MCH centres in Alexandria. Individual measurements of weight and height were done for each child. Anthropometric indices of weight and height were calculated. These indices were related to the US National Centre of Health Statistics [NCHS] reference population by standard deviation scores [Z-scores]. The growth pattern of children was different from that of western reference populations, while it resembled that of most developing countries. Of all children, 10.5% suffered from malnutrition [weight for age <2 S.D. of the reference median], 14.1% were stunted, and 5.5% were wasted. Parents of all children were interviewed, and analysis of specific social risk factors associated with poor attained size was done using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Few of such factors reached statistically significant association such as sex, infant feeding pattern, birth order and parental consanguinity