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Many referrals under Dutch short stature guidelines

S van Buuren1, D J A Bonnemaijer-Kerckhoffs, F K Grote

  • 1Dept of Child Health, TNO Prevention and Health, Leiden, Netherlands.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|March 23, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Over 38% of children may require referrals for short stature, indicating current Dutch guidelines need revision. This study analyzed data from 970 children aged 0-10 years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Growth Disorders

Background:

  • Short stature affects a significant number of children.
  • Accurate referral guidelines are crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
  • Current Dutch consensus guidelines for short stature require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the referral rate for short stature in children under strict adherence to Dutch guidelines.
  • To identify potential areas for guideline revision.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal data from 970 children aged 0-10 years were analyzed.
  • Referral criteria were strictly applied based on the Dutch consensus guidelines.

Main Results:

  • An estimated 38% of all children would necessitate one or more referrals.
  • The high referral rate suggests potential over-referral or overly strict criteria.

Conclusions:

  • The current Dutch consensus guidelines for short stature referral appear to generate a high volume of referrals.
  • Revision of the existing guidelines is recommended to optimize the referral process and resource allocation.

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