To study the growth of 566 children (273 males and 293 females) from fourteen day care centers of Paulínia (São Paulo, Brazil), with ages ranging from 3 months to 3 years, admitted from March 1st to May 31st, 1993, the authors analyzed the z-score distribution of height for age and weight for height in relation to age group, per capita family income, social class levels, mother's education level and child birth weight. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the Multiple Comparison test were used in the statistical analysis. The children with less than 24 months or with birth weight less than 3000g as the children with mother's education level less than four years, presented left deviated distribution in the height for age z-score. The weight for height score was less satisfactory in the group with per capita income less than one salary, in the group with birth weight less than 3000g, and in the group with ages superior to 18 months. Therefore, institutional actions concerning the children and their parents are recommended in order to attenuate these factors.
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