Courses

Assessment Skills Update: 3rd Generation Fenton Growth Chart

What's new in the 3rd-generation Fenton growth chart?

Presenter: Sharon Groh-Wargo, PhD, RDN

Program Date: 11 November 2025

Publication Date: 13 March 2026

Continuing Education Credits: Dietitian 0.5 CPEU

Course Description:

Discover the essential updates to the 3rd-generation Fenton growth chart, developed from a robust global dataset to reflect optimal fetal growth. This program explains how the 3rd generation charts differ from the 2013 version, including the shift from a growth reference to a true growth standard, and examines how these updates influence SGA identification and clinical practice in the NICU. This program was originally presented as a live webinar on 11 November 2025.

Course Objectives:
  • Describe the 2025 Fenton growth chart.
  • Analyze and compare the key differences between the 2nd and 3rd generation Fenton growth charts.
  • Evaluate the impact of these changes on clinical practice.
Key Takeaways:
  • The 2025 charts are based on the appropriately growing fetus.
  • The 3rd generation charts are a growth standard and should replace the 2013 charts as soon as feasible.
  • Education of all NICU health care professionals should accompany the introduction of the charts.
  • The 2025 charts will identify more infants as small gestational age (SGA) compared to the 2013 charts.

Performance Indicators: 5.2.5, 9.2.2, 11.1.3

Activity Code: 191458

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Related Questions:
  • What is the key difference between the 2013 Fenton charts and the 2025 3rd generation charts?
    The 2013 charts are a growth reference, describing how preterm infants historically grew, while the 2025 charts are a growth standard, showing how infants should grow under optimal conditions and reflecting ideal fetal growth.
  • How will the new Fenton growth charts impact clinical practice in the NICU?
    The updated growth chart will classify more infants as small for gestational age (SGA) compared to the 2013 version. This shift affects diagnosis, nutritional planning, and unit benchmarking, making staff education essential when transitioning to the new standard.

Course Instructor Bio(s):

Sharon Groh-Wargo, PhD, RDN

Professor, Nutrition and Pediatrics 
Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine 
Cleveland, OH, USA

Dr Groh-Wargo has over 40 years of experience as a Neonatal Dietitian, is a nationally known speaker and researcher, and has authored numerous publications on neonatal nutrition. She is a contributor to all three editions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Pocket Guide to Neonatal Nutrition and authored a chapter on “Lactoengineering” for the 3rd edition of “Infant and Pediatric Feedings: Guidelines for Preparation of Human Milk and Formula in Health Care Facilities”. She participates in the BEGIN Project – Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition, sponsored by the NIH in cooperation with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which was convened to investigate human milk as a unique biological system. Dr Groh-Wargo received the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Medallion Award in recognition of her professional contributions.

Category
CPEU Neonatal Inpatient Nutrition
Highlighted References:
  • Fenton TR, et al. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2025;39(6):543-555. 
  • University of Calgary. Fenton Preterm Growth Chart Site. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://live-ucalgary.ucalgary.ca/resource/preterm-growth-chart/preterm-growth-chart
  • AAP Committee on Nutrition. Nutritional Needs of the Preterm Infant. In: Greer FR, Abrams SA, eds. Pediatric Nutrition. 9th ed. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2025:123-176. 
  • Embleton ND, et al. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2023;76(2):248-268. 
  • Hutcheon JA, Platt RW. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(7):786-792.
  • Fenton TR, Kim JH. BMC Pediatr. 2013;13:59.
  • Pepin H, et al. Nutr Clin Pract. Published online August 3, 2025.

Abbott Nutrition’s Statement for Dietitian CPEUs:

This educational activity has been prior-approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR credentialed practitioners will receive the specified continuing professional education units (CPEUs) for completion of this program/material.