The research “Growth parameter of Sri Lankan children during infancy: a comparison with world health organization multicentre growth reference study “, by P.J. Perera et al.1, published in this issue of the journal is basically whether the WHO reference 20062 is appropriate for the Sri Lanka, due to the results presented, it necessarily causes some reflections on the growth of children, the determinants and implications, both for the primary care of children and adolescents in general, as for the use of growth as an indicator of welfare of the population groups. First of all we need to consider that such research, in its methodological aspects, was performed in a proper and careful manner, which confers robustness to their results, sine qua non characteristics to perform any considerations. The first consideration is related to the extreme care that must be taken when evaluating growth based on results obtained from the use of a reference (curve) of growth. Whatever the reference used, the results must be carefully analyzed3, even when resorting to a reference done with the best methodological cares, as proposed by the WHO reference in 2006. We must always remember that this is only a reference; therefore it is more a descriptor of the growth trend than a standard that must be achieved by all in an absolute manner. The authors reflection about possible negative repercussions for breastfeeding in their country is a good example1, even assuming that the exchange of reference cannot be considered the only solution to such difficulties. A critically use, and not a purely mechanical analysis, when comparing the values obtained with the reference would probably be a better solution, including the educational aspects that would then arise. In this sense, the results of the study, interpreted from another angle of view, the collective, produce an estimation that 85% or more of the children from Sri Lanka in the first year of life are lower than the median of the reference or, what is even worse, that 50% of the total is below the 15th percentile of the reference length of WHO 2006, which indicates a very high prevalence of stunting. This induces a second thought: however it is known that the growth is a result of the interaction between genetics and environment4,5, it is not possible to consider that such growth deficit is due mainly to ethnic characteristics, therefore genetic, of the population of Sri Lanka, even accepting what the authors say about the sample, i.e. a population relatively well situated within the socio-economic scenario of the country. It is not always possible to achieve an optimal growth pattern (if it exists). It is often important to try to understand whether a particular child (or a group of children) is having a growth that is compatible with the expression of their potential in the environment they live in, because if they are under, not in the referential, but the best possible under the circumstances, it will require for us to comprehend the reasons in order to produce some consistent way of intervention to optimize the growth in that particular environment. As a result, a third reflection becomes necessary considering the demographic, epidemiological and, especially, the nutritional6 transitions. Popkin believes that the nutrition transition is composed of several stages, among which there is one in which coexist a population with absence of severe protein-energy malnutrition, the presence of stunting (possible sequel of chronic malnutrition in the first years of life) and a gradually increase of the prevalence of overweight and obesity that progressively ends up also extending towards the layers of lower socioeconomic status. In addition, Journal of Human Growth and Development 2014; 24(1): 7-10 EDITORIAL