The WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS)

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) (1997-2003) was a community-based, multi-country project in collaboration with other institutions to formulate new growth references for infants and young children. This study was a combination of a longitudinal study and a cross-sectional study. The subjects had favourable socio-economic conditions to grow with low mobility. Other inclusion criteria were absence of health or environmental constraints on growth, absence of maternal smoking and breast fed children and adherence to the feeding recommendations by MGRS. Data was collected from 8,500 children from Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States of America. This study has published the standards which describe how healthy children should grow under optimal health and environmental condition. The growth charts formulated by the MGRS study are also known as WHO growth charts. The standards formulated by this study which are applicable to all the children worldwide irrespective of ethnicity, feeding practices and environmental diversity.