In the UK, our standard charts - which are not in use, as far as I 
know, outside the UK - are not due to be reviewed until 2010, and I 
doubt very much that anything official will happen until then.

Discussions are taking place, however.

I think it's excellent that the WHO charts are available easily to 
parents direct over the internet. I don't recognise Morgan's 'huge 
groundswell of mothers ' though.  It's true that the impetus to use 
them, such  as it is, comes mainly from mothers, even so.

I do think there are questions to be asked about their universal use, 
with formula and mixed fed babies.

The charts in current UK use - based on babies whose feeding is not 
differentiated - are a reflection of babies as they *are* - mixed 
fed, early solids, breastfed for a short time only - they are all in 
there, undifferentiated. The WHO charts reflect babies as they 
(almost certainly) *ought* to be. How far should any baby's growth be 
manipulated to 'fit' the chart? I don't know. Maybe  formula fed 
babies need to be 'allowed' to get bigger - maybe the physiological 
growth of a non-physiologically-fed baby is like that.

I don't see a great problem with  the current UK charts, in fact. I 
see a problem with the way they are used, and the poor training of 
the HCPs who use them.

Adoption of the WHO charts will not resolve this at all.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc,  tutor, UK

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