الفهرس 
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Abstract
Growth refers to increase in physical dimensions of an individual, e.g., increase in height, weight, etc. or various parts and organs of the body. It implies increase in size or general body growth.
The growth of children can be measured cross-sectional or longitudinally through the anthropometric measurements. If children are assessed once, the growth status of children for age can be evaluated by comparing this data with the suitable reference chart, if children are assessed more times, the children‟s growth rate data are acquired that can be more important because they reveal change in growth and development
Growth charts are intended to provide information on growth in children for clinical assessment. Also calculating the midparental height is an important part of the evaluation because most short or tall children have short or tall parents.
Obesity and hypertension have both been on the rise in children. Each is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk and both track into adulthood, increasing the prevalence of heart disease and related morbidity and mortality.
The aim of this work is to asses the growth through anthropometric measurements and to determine the prevalence of obesity, short stature and hypertension.
This study was a cross sectional study, which conducted on 1050 school children with age ranged between 6- < 12 year with mean +SD 8.50+1.70 year. They were taken from primary schools in Zefta, Gharbeya Government during the period from April 2017 to November 2017.
Children participate in this study were apparently normal children of both sexes. We excluded children with known chronic diseases and endocrinal disorders, children suffering from known genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, and those who receiving drugs that may be affect the growth.
All children were subjected to the following after informed consent was obtained from all participating parents
1. Detailed history regarding personal, developmental, nutritional, physical activity and family history .Also history of chronic diseases or hospital admission.
2. Complete physical examination: Including all body system, fat distribution as presence of central, peripheral or trunkal obesity also assessment of stature and looking for skin pigmentation plus family pedigree analysis
3. Anthropometric measurements including weight in kg, height in cm, arm span in cm, body mass index (kg/m2), and upper segment/lower segment ratio.
4. Blood pressure measurement.
This study revealed that:
The mean height of girls was lower than that of the boys in all age groups. This difference in height between boys and girls was not significant in any age group.
The mean weight of girls was higher than the boys, in most of the age groups. However, there also was no statistically significant difference in the mean weights between boys and girls in any age group.The mean values of body mass index are (17.47±2.68) kg/m2 in males and (17.84±3.09) kg/m2 in females. Body mass index was found to increase with age. The older subjects had the highest body mass index values. The rapid rate of increase in body mass index corresponds to the adolescent spurt growth which has been reported to occur at 11-13 years.
Most of children have normal growth with mostly height percentile ranged from > 25th to ≤ 75th in 53.3% and 60% of males and females respectively. The weight percentiles also mostly ranged from > 25th to ≤ 75th in 68.7% and 61.1% of males and females respectively. BMI percentiles also ranged from ≥ 5th to ˂ 85th in 85.4% and 78.5% of males and females respectively.
Prevalence of overweight was 4.9% and 11.2 % in the boys and girls respectively and for obesity was 6.8% and 7.5 % in males and females respectively.
Obese children showed a statistically significant higher prevalence of pre-hypertension than non-obese children.
The prevalence of pre-hypertension is 7.7% and 11.2% for boys and girls respectively.
SBP and DBP pressures significantly correlate with age, body weight, height and BMI.
No cases of short stature were detected in our study.