New height, weight and head circumference charts for British children with Williams syndrome

To produce a growth reference for British children with Williams syndrome.

The children and adults recruited into the study were all affiliated to the Williams Syndrome Foundation, a parent support group founded in 1979. They have all been shown to have a deletion of chromosome 7q11.23. One growth nurse (WRS) prospectively measured the weight, height and head circumference of individuals from 19 regions in Great Britain including Scotland, England and Wales. 169 children and adults were measured on up to four occasions between 2001 and 2004 (275 measurements). In addition, retrospective data were obtained from the hospital notes of 67 of these individuals (586 measurements). Centile curves were constructed using Cole's LMS method.

The centile charts differ from charts previously derived in the USA and Germany and provide more appropriate standards for the British population.

We propose that these charts be adopted for routine clinical practice as abnormalities in growth are an important feature of this syndrome.