The Fenton growth chart data are cross-sectional. Which of the following is true?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. It is longitudinal

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how growth chart data are gathered. The Fenton growth charts are created from measurements collected from many preterm infants across a range of gestational ages, with each infant contributing a single data point (at birth or a specific gestational age). That means the dataset represents a snapshot across many babies at different ages, not repeated measurements from the same baby over time. Such a collection is cross-sectional, not longitudinal. This is why the statement is true: the Fenton data used to build those charts are cross-sectional because they reflect distribution at each gestational age from a variety of infants rather than tracking individual growth trajectories over time.