Question

The nurse is assessing a 3-year-old African-American child who is being seen in the clinic for the first time. The child's height and weight are in the 20th percentile on the commonly used growth chart from the National Center for Health Statistics. When interpreting the data, the nurse recognizes

a. child's growth is within normal limits.
b. child's growth is not within normal limits.
c. growth chart is not accurate for African-American children.
d. growth chart is not useful until several measurements are plotted over time.

Answer 1

A 3-year-old African-American child with height and weight in the 20th percentile is generally considered to be within a normal growth range. Growth charts account for variability in the population, including genetic diversity. It is important to monitor growth over time for a comprehensive assessment.

Step-by-step explanation:

When interpreting the growth chart data of a 3-year-old African-American child whose height and weight are in the 20th percentile, it is important to understand the context and what these percentiles represent. Growth charts are used as a tool to track a child’s growth over time against a reference population. Being in the 20th percentile means that the child’s height and weight are greater than or equal to 20 percent of children their age.

It is crucial to note that single measurements on a growth chart provide limited information. Growth trends over time are more informative. The fact that the child’s growth data matches the 20th percentile may fall within a normal range of growth since growth is influenced by many factors, including genetic potential. Additionally, growth charts used by the National Center for Health Statistics are designed to be representative, including of African-American children. Therefore, based on the information provided, it would be reasonable to conclude that the child's growth is within normal limits.