ABSTRACT
Body mass index [BMI] is widely used to assess childhood obesity, and to infer risk of subsequent obesity-related disease. The present study aims to examine:1] age-and gender-reared patterns in BMI and the body fat component throughout infancy and preschool childhood periods 2] correlations between BMI and total body fat mass and fat percentage 3] hypothesis that BMI is valid gender-specific measure of fatness that is dependant/or independent on age in a pediatric population. It was a cross-sectional study of 410 healthy, Egyptian infants and 512 preschool children of both genders, aged from 1 month to 5 years. Anthropometric assessment; body weigh and length/ height; was performed. Body mass index [BMI] [[Weigh in kg/Height in m2]] was calculated. Each child was examined by the bioelectrical impedance apparatus [BMI]] to measure the total body fat mass body fat percentage. Results show progressive increase in BMI, total body fat mass and body fat percentage with age in both boys and girls. BMI is more strongly associated with total body fat mass than with body fat percentage for both genders. The association between BMI and total body fat mass in both genders found to be dependent on the age across the first two years of life, then become consistent across age range 3-5 years. While, the association between BMI and body fat percentage is weaker in infancy than preschools and independent on the age for both sexes. The study concludes that, BMI appears to serve a surrogate marker for total body fat mass of preschool children and with considering the exact age during infancy period. The study recommends that Egyptian gender-and age- specific BMI cutoffs for defining children's overweight and obesity are needed