Regular
assessment of growth (height, weight, BMI) and development (motor, cognitive,
language, social–emotional) across school years helps detect problems early,
guide nutrition and activity interventions, support learning, and link children
to timely interventions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) emphasises that
monitoring the growth and development of children between 5 and 19 years
(school-going age) is essential for ensuring optimal health, learning, and
long-term wellbeing.
“Growth” and “development” assessments
- Growth: Measures the height-for-age,
weight-for-age, and BMI-for-age to track undernutrition, stunting,
overweight/obesity and abnormal growth patterns.
- Development: Assess the cognitive skills,
language & literacy, motor skills, social & emotional functioning,
and planning, attention function.
School Years: A Foundation for Lifelong
Health
- Detects nutritional problems
early: Both undernutrition
and overnutrition affect learning, immunity and long-term health.
- Pubertal and growth-spurt
changes: Timely
measurement identifies early/late puberty and rapid growth that may need
evaluation.
- Links health with school
performance: Undetected
vision/hearing, nutrition deficits or developmental delays reduce learning
and attendance. Regular checks support academic success.
- Opportunity for
population-level prevention: School-based
screening, education and activity programs can reduce risk behaviours
(e.g., excess screen time, poor diet) and improve population health.
Key benefits of growth and development
assessment
- Early Identification: Growth deviations can be
spotted before they turn into major health problems.
- Personalised Feedback: Each child’s results are
compared against WHO standards, giving parents and schools clear insights.
- Preventive Action: By recognising issues early, schools and
families can take steps in nutrition, physical activity, and medical
follow-up.
- Holistic Monitoring: Combined use of height, weight, MUAC, and BMI
provides a comprehensive picture of a child’s health.
Health and
Wellness Assessments for Students
As
part of our First Step Paediatric Wellness program, we will carry out
comprehensive growth and development assessments for students from Class 1 to
Class 10. Each child will receive an age-appropriate health check focused on
the following:
- Height Measurement
- Track the linear growth using standard WHO
reference charts for children 5–19 years.
- Helps identify stunting, growth spurts, or
deviations from expected growth patterns.
- Weight Measurement
- Regular weight checks to monitor healthy weight
gain across school years.
- Supports early identification of undernutrition
or overweight/obesity.
- Mid-Upper Arm Circumference
(MUAC)
- A simple, reliable indicator of nutritional
status.
- Particularly useful for detecting undernutrition
and monitoring changes over time.
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
Calculation
- BMI-for-age (using WHO growth reference
standards) provides a balanced measure of weight relative to height.
- Detects early trends of underweight, overweight,
or obesity, guiding timely interventions.
Evidence research on growth and development
de Onis, M., Onyango, A.W., Borghi, E., Siyam, A., Nishida, C. and Siekmann,
J., 2007. Development of a WHO growth reference for
school-aged children and adolescents. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation,
85(9), pp.660–667. doi:10.2471/BLT.07.043497
American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), 2006. Identifying infants and
young children with developmental disorders in the medical home: an algorithm
for developmental surveillance and screening. Paediatrics, 118(1),
pp.405–420. doi:10.1542/peds 2006-1231
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2023. Learn
the Signs. Act Early. [online] Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
[Accessed 18 September 2025].
Rani, N. and Singh, M., 2021. Effectiveness of growth monitoring and
promotion interventions on child nutrition outcomes: A systematic review.
Maternal & Child Nutrition, 17(3), e13178. doi:10.1111/mcn.13178
Wilkinson, R., Moore, A. and Baines, E., 2017. School-based health
interventions: Evidence on impact and implementation. Journal of
School Health, 87(9), pp.709–725. doi:10.1111/josh 12542
Bright Futures/American Academy of Paediatrics, 2019. Recommendations
for Preventive Paediatric Health Care (Periodic Screening Schedule).
[online] Available at: https://brightfutures.aap.org [Accessed 18 September
2025].
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