Nutritional assessment of children with Down syndrome (0 to 15 years)
Enter sex, weight, height, head circumference and the dates of birth and assessment. You get the nutritional status, the growth status and the head circumference assessment against the percentiles for children with Down syndrome.
For: Children with Down syndrome, from the first month of life to 15 years. Free, no sign-up. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is stored.
How the assessment works
The measurements are compared with tables built from children with Down syndrome, whose growth follows a different pattern from the general population, rather than with the WHO curves. The tables used are those of the Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down (2004), which differ for boys and girls.
- Age. Completed years and months between the date of birth and the date of assessment are counted, with 30-day months, adding one month when more than 15 days are left over. Assessment is possible from 1 month of age up to the 16th birthday.
- Table row. The tables have values for each month from 1 to 13, for 18 months and for each year from 2 to 15. Up to 12 months the row for the age in months is used; from the first birthday up to 18 months, the 18-month row; after that, the row for completed years (from 19 months up to the second birthday, the 12-month row; at 3 years and 8 months, the 36-month row). The result shows which row was used.
- Comparison. Weight, height and head circumference are placed among the 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th percentiles of that row. The median (50th percentile), the difference between the measurement and the median, and the acceptable range from the 10th to the 90th percentile are also reported.
- Reference figures. BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared) and height squared are shown as information, but play no part in the classification.
How to read the result
| Percentile for age | Weight (nutritional status) | Height (growth) | Head circumference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the 10th percentile | Weight deficit | Height deficit | Suspected microcephaly |
| From the 10th and below the 90th | Normal | Normal | Normal |
| From the 90th and below the 97th | Overweight | Excess height | Suspected macrocephaly |
| 97th percentile or above | Obesity | Excess height | Suspected macrocephaly |
Each band includes its lower percentile: a value equal to the 10th percentile is normal, one equal to the 90th is overweight, excess height or suspected macrocephaly, and a weight equal to the 97th is obesity.
Nutritional status is based on weight for age alone, without taking height into account, so it is best read alongside the growth status. The classification is a support: a diagnosis also takes in the child's history, the clinical examination and how the measurements have changed over time.
Charts and report
Along with the result, the curves for the 3rd to 97th percentiles of weight, height and head circumference for age are drawn, with the patient's point. The range depends on age: 0 to 3 years or 3 to 15 years. The point sits on the table row the measurement was compared against, so that it matches the classification; when that row is not the age in months, a note appears under the chart. Each chart also has a collapsible table with the same values.
The «Download report» button builds a PDF in your browser with the data entered, the result, the reference tables, the charts and the source. You can add an optional reference for your own records, which only goes into that PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Which tables does this calculator use?
The updated growth tables for Spanish children with Down syndrome, from the Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down through its Centro Médico Down (Pastor X, Quintó L, Corretger M, Gassió R, Hernández M and Serés A; SD-DS Revista Médica Internacional sobre el Síndrome de Down, 2004; 8: 34-46). They give the 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th percentiles for weight, height and head circumference, separately for boys and girls.
What ages does it cover?
From the first month of life up to the 16th birthday. Age is counted with 30-day months and comes out as 0 months until around 15 days of life, when assessment is not yet possible. From 16 years it no longer assesses either, because the last row of the tables is the one for 15 years.
What do the median, the difference and the acceptable range mean?
The median is the 50th percentile of the table for that age and sex; in the copied text it appears as «peso ideal» or «talla ideal». The difference is the measurement minus that median. The acceptable range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile: within that range the measurement is classified as normal.
Which table age is the measurement compared against?
Up to 12 months, against the row for the age in months. From the first birthday up to 18 months, against the 18-month row. After that, against the row for completed years: from 19 months up to the second birthday the 12-month row, at 2 years the 24-month row, at 3 years and 8 months the 36-month row, and so on up to the 15-year row. The result shows which row was used.
Is nutritional status based on BMI?
No. Nutritional status comes from weight for age and growth status from height for age. BMI and height squared are shown for reference only.
Can I download a report?
Yes. When there is a result, a «Download report» button appears that builds a PDF in your browser with the data entered, the result and its classification, the comparison with the table, the reference percentiles, the three charts and the source. Nothing is sent or stored. You can type an optional reference (a case number, for instance) that only goes into that PDF; do not enter names or ID numbers.
Which age is the patient's point plotted at on the charts?
At the table row the measurement is compared against, which is not always the age in months: from 19 months up to the second birthday, for instance, it is compared with the 12-month row. That way the point on the chart and the classification agree; when the two ages differ, the chart says so underneath.
Is the data I enter stored?
No. No name or ID number is asked for, everything is worked out in your browser and no data is sent or stored. The PDF report is also generated in your browser.
Source
Tablas de crecimiento actualizadas de los niños españoles con síndrome de Down (Updated growth tables for Spanish children with Down syndrome). Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Centro Médico Down. Pastor X, Quintó L, Corretger M, Gassió R, Hernández M, Serés A. SD-DS Revista Médica Internacional sobre el Síndrome de Down, 2004; 8: 34-46.
A support tool for health professionals. It does not replace clinical assessment or the technical standard in force.