>While weight gain in
>this case was well below the "charts", baby was growing at the rate
>that was right for him.


This comment made me think of another common misinterpretation of weight
charts. (I am not saying this is what happened in this case.)  If a baby is
growing steadily along some very low centile (say the 5th -- above the
usually given cut of the the 3rd for referral here in UK) that growth is
fine in terms of the way charts are meant to be used.  However, not only
does one find parents worrying if their baby is grwoing like this, but I
have heard of health workers saying things like "well, he is below the 50th
centile, so we need to watch him".  I have many criticisms of the education
I received in my home country, the USA, but I will always be eternally
grateful that to do any college degree you had to do Stats 101.  The kind of
thinking which goes on in total misunderstanding about population growth
references so that health professionals do not realise that BY DEFINITION
half of all babies will be below the 50th centile is pretty scarey.  No
wonder evidence based practice (whatever reservations we might have about
it) is still pie in the sky.

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

PS  thanks Katherine for reminding us about the international/WHO use of the
CDC charts.  I was jsut wondering if any countries, like the UK, used
different charts, based on some national data set.  I have not come across
any but thought references to this might not be in English language
literature.  Just curious.  I once compared the Tanner Whilehouse, the CDC,
the current UK and the UK 'breastfed' charts -- I picked one age in weeks
for boys and looked at the 50th centile line -- from memory the spread
between these charts was just over half a kilo.

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