Children's growth disorders can be detected earlier and more efficiently with the help of new growth monitoring tools, according to research from the University of Eastern Finland. These tools include up-to-date growth reference curves, evidence-based screening cut-off values for abnormal growth and automated growth monitoring based on electronic health records.
Since the 1990s, Finnish child welfare clinics have been using a globally unique method for growth monitoring, resting largely on growth reference curves. This screening process relies also on important tools such as screening cut-off values for abnormal growth and accurate diagnostic procedures for early detection of growth disorders. However, due to changes in children's growth over time, growth charts need regular updating. Furthermore, the screening criteria have left room for improvement and research evidence on the efficiency of growth monitoring has been lacking. In his doctoral thesis, Antti Saari, MD, revised the growth monitoring system of Finnish children and demonstrated the benefits of systematic growth monitoring for the detection of growth disorders.
Revised national growth charts detect disorders better than WHO charts
The study defined new growth reference curves for Finnish children by making use of auxological data from approximately 72,000 children. Healthy children born between 1983 and 2008 were found to be growing taller than children in the former Finnish growth reference dating back approximately 40 years, consisting of children born in 1956-1973. The mean adult height of Finnish boys has increased from 178.9 cm to 180.7 cm (+1.8 cm), and the mean adult height of Finnish girls from 165.6 cm to 167.5 cm (+1.9 cm). The study also published BMI-based growth reference curves for Finnish children.
Revised growth reference curves enhance the detection of growth disorders causing growth failure. The study also showed that if Finland was to use the multi-ethnic WHO growth charts instead of the updated national ones, many disorders affecting growth could go undetected.
More accurate and automated screening
Cut-off values determining healthy vs. abnormal growth are used to supplement the growth reference curves. The study determined evidence-based cut-off limits for attained height, weight and growth rate, and validated these against two target conditions: Turner syndrome and celiac disease. The study discovered that the screening precision was excellent for Turner syndrome, and good for celiac disease. Furthermore, new monitoring methods can help in the early detection of growth disorders. It is possible to automatize the new growth monitoring methods developed in the study by using electronic health records and growth monitoring software.
Electronic health records remain an underused diagnostic tool in primary health care. The study showed that computer-assisted growth monitoring clearly enhanced monitoring precision in primary health care when combined with automated growth consultation services used in special health care. The automated strategy improved the detection precision by approximately six-fold and often also allowed for a considerably earlier detection of disorders affecting growth than the traditional manual method.
Explore further: Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids
Mar 02, 2015
Screening for five growth parameters helped detect celiac disease (CD) with good accuracy in both boys and girls because growth falters in most children with CD, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Use of EHRs associated with higher rate of detection of growth disorders in children
Sep 10, 2013
"Monitoring of linear growth is a well-established part of pediatric health care in the developed world. Although monitoring aims to support early diagnosis and timely treatment of disorders affecting growth, such disorders ...
WHO growth curves offer no distinct advantage over CDC measures
Apr 30, 2012
Several medical organizations have recently recommended that doctors switch from using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth curves to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth curves to better determine ...
How do your children grow?
Mar 08, 2013
(Medical Xpress)—We know how Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary's garden grows, but what about our kids? From marks on a wall to spending what seems like a fortune on clothes, parents are often fascinated by the growth of their ...
Productivity growth in US hospitals during 2002 to 2011
Feb 16, 2015
(HealthDay)—During 2002 to 2011, U.S. hospitals experienced productivity growth in treating Medicare patients with heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a study published in the February ...
Recommended for you
Handheld echocardiography ups rheumatic heart disease detection
6 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Handheld echocardiography (HAND) and auscultation improves detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) compared with auscultation alone, according to a study published online March 16 in Pediatrics.
Pediatrician gives tips for dealing with diaper rash
Mar 19, 2015
Diaper rash may not be a serious condition, but it can be extremely painful. It is common and causes concern for many parents trying to comfort their child.
Interventions up blood culture ordering in pediatric pneumonia
Mar 18, 2015
(HealthDay)—Interventions can increase blood culture ordering in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with no effect on length of stay (LOS), according to a study published online ...
Recess: An essential part of the school day
Mar 18, 2015
(HealthDay)—Recess is an essential part of children's school days that can help set students up for success once they head back to the classroom, a new study suggests.
Pediatrician discusses when to keep kids home from school
Mar 18, 2015
For many reasons, a child being home from school while sick can be stressful. Parents worry about the severity of their child's illness and about the child missing school, all while trying to shuffle work schedules to be ...
Propranolol seems prophylactic against infantile hemangiomas
Mar 17, 2015
(HealthDay)—Propranolol seems to be prophylactic against infantile hemangiomas, according to a case report published online March 16 in Pediatrics.
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Children's growth disorders can be detected earlier and more efficiently with the help of new growth monitoring tools, according to research from the University of Eastern Finland. These tools include up-to-date growth reference curves, evidence-based screening cut-off values for abnormal growth and automated growth monitoring based on electronic health records.
Since the 1990s, Finnish child welfare clinics have been using a globally unique method for growth monitoring, resting largely on growth reference curves. This screening process relies also on important tools such as screening cut-off values for abnormal growth and accurate diagnostic procedures for early detection of growth disorders. However, due to changes in children's growth over time, growth charts need regular updating. Furthermore, the screening criteria have left room for improvement and research evidence on the efficiency of growth monitoring has been lacking. In his doctoral thesis, Antti Saari, MD, revised the growth monitoring system of Finnish children and demonstrated the benefits of systematic growth monitoring for the detection of growth disorders.
Revised national growth charts detect disorders better than WHO charts
The study defined new growth reference curves for Finnish children by making use of auxological data from approximately 72,000 children. Healthy children born between 1983 and 2008 were found to be growing taller than children in the former Finnish growth reference dating back approximately 40 years, consisting of children born in 1956-1973. The mean adult height of Finnish boys has increased from 178.9 cm to 180.7 cm (+1.8 cm), and the mean adult height of Finnish girls from 165.6 cm to 167.5 cm (+1.9 cm). The study also published BMI-based growth reference curves for Finnish children.
Revised growth reference curves enhance the detection of growth disorders causing growth failure. The study also showed that if Finland was to use the multi-ethnic WHO growth charts instead of the updated national ones, many disorders affecting growth could go undetected.
More accurate and automated screening
Cut-off values determining healthy vs. abnormal growth are used to supplement the growth reference curves. The study determined evidence-based cut-off limits for attained height, weight and growth rate, and validated these against two target conditions: Turner syndrome and celiac disease. The study discovered that the screening precision was excellent for Turner syndrome, and good for celiac disease. Furthermore, new monitoring methods can help in the early detection of growth disorders. It is possible to automatize the new growth monitoring methods developed in the study by using electronic health records and growth monitoring software.
Electronic health records remain an underused diagnostic tool in primary health care. The study showed that computer-assisted growth monitoring clearly enhanced monitoring precision in primary health care when combined with automated growth consultation services used in special health care. The automated strategy improved the detection precision by approximately six-fold and often also allowed for a considerably earlier detection of disorders affecting growth than the traditional manual method.
Explore further: Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids
Mar 02, 2015
Screening for five growth parameters helped detect celiac disease (CD) with good accuracy in both boys and girls because growth falters in most children with CD, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Use of EHRs associated with higher rate of detection of growth disorders in children
Sep 10, 2013
"Monitoring of linear growth is a well-established part of pediatric health care in the developed world. Although monitoring aims to support early diagnosis and timely treatment of disorders affecting growth, such disorders ...
WHO growth curves offer no distinct advantage over CDC measures
Apr 30, 2012
Several medical organizations have recently recommended that doctors switch from using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth curves to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth curves to better determine ...
How do your children grow?
Mar 08, 2013
(Medical Xpress)—We know how Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary's garden grows, but what about our kids? From marks on a wall to spending what seems like a fortune on clothes, parents are often fascinated by the growth of their ...
Productivity growth in US hospitals during 2002 to 2011
Feb 16, 2015
(HealthDay)—During 2002 to 2011, U.S. hospitals experienced productivity growth in treating Medicare patients with heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a study published in the February ...
Recommended for you
Handheld echocardiography ups rheumatic heart disease detection
6 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Handheld echocardiography (HAND) and auscultation improves detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) compared with auscultation alone, according to a study published online March 16 in Pediatrics.
Pediatrician gives tips for dealing with diaper rash
Mar 19, 2015
Diaper rash may not be a serious condition, but it can be extremely painful. It is common and causes concern for many parents trying to comfort their child.
Interventions up blood culture ordering in pediatric pneumonia
Mar 18, 2015
(HealthDay)—Interventions can increase blood culture ordering in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with no effect on length of stay (LOS), according to a study published online ...
Recess: An essential part of the school day
Mar 18, 2015
(HealthDay)—Recess is an essential part of children's school days that can help set students up for success once they head back to the classroom, a new study suggests.
Pediatrician discusses when to keep kids home from school
Mar 18, 2015
For many reasons, a child being home from school while sick can be stressful. Parents worry about the severity of their child's illness and about the child missing school, all while trying to shuffle work schedules to be ...
Propranolol seems prophylactic against infantile hemangiomas
Mar 17, 2015
(HealthDay)—Propranolol seems to be prophylactic against infantile hemangiomas, according to a case report published online March 16 in Pediatrics.
User comments
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more
Click here
to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment