Underweight, or low weight-for-age (WFA), identifies children who weigh less than a healthy, well-nourished child of the same age. This may be because the child has not grown adequately in height, weight, or both, or that he or she has recently lost weight. Underweight reflects both stunting and wasting, but cannot distinguish between the two. It is defined by a WFA z-score below 2 standard deviations of the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards. This indicator is commonly used in growth monitoring and promotion and child health and nutrition programs aimed at prevention and treatment of undernutrition.
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