The World Health Organization stated on Thursday that the child's development is influenced more by environmental factors than genetics until the age of 5. "Children from India, Norway and Brazil all show similar growth patterns when provided healthy growth conditions in early life," the WHO said in issuing its new child growth standards. In their study, researchers followed over 8,000 children in Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the United States from their birth until they turned 5. Children in optimal environments where those breastfed while they were infants, those who have access to good nutrition and quality health care and whose mothers do not smoke. The 7-year study showed that children from India who were breastfed, vaccinated and whose mothers avoided tobacco had similar growth patterns to those from richer countries like Norway. "The study shows that nutrition, feeding practices, environment, and health care are stronger factors in the growth of children to age 5 than genetics or ethnic background," said Catherine le Gales-Camus, WHO assistant director general for non-communicable diseases. These recent findings show how children should grow, also serving to detect mal-nutrition or obesity at an early age. They cover optimum weight-for-age and height-for-age, also including standard motor development. "The WHO Child Growth Standards provide new means to support every child to get the best chance to develop in the most important formative years. This tool will serve to reduce death and disease in infants and young children," said Lee Jong-wook, director-general of the World Health Organization.