The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are revising the growth charts for infants and children that were initially published in 1977. These charts are used nationally in the private and public health clinic settings to assess the growth of children. One of the most important uses of these charts has been in WIC to assess the growth of children and their eligibility for WIC program benefits. The major revision to the charts will be the replacement of the body mass index-for-age (BMI) for weight-for-height for children greater than 2 years of age. BMI is significantly correlated with subcutaneous and total body fat. Therefore, it is the best measurement for routine preventive screening of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.

ERS entered into an interagency agreement for $76,393 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in August, 1998. However, long delays in the official release of the National Center for Health Statistics Growth Reference Curves (released in May, 2000) have delayed the project. Programming and testing of accuracy of calculations have been completed, and beta testing is currently underway in a few States with WIC programs (and researchers) to determine the software's user-friendliness and ease of importing data files. Results of the testing are expected by early January, 2001, and it is anticipated that the software will be available for dissemination on the web in March, 2001.