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New Finnish reference for head circumference from birth to 7 years
Marjo Karvonen1, Marja-Leena Hannila, Antti Saari
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Annals of Medicine
|April 19, 2011
Summary
Updated Finnish head circumference (HC) growth charts show increased HC for age, particularly after two years. These new references are essential for accurately monitoring child growth in Finland.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Growth Monitoring
- Public Health
Background:
- Current Finnish head circumference (HC) growth charts are outdated, based on limited data from 1953-1964.
- Secular trends in HC growth necessitate updated reference data for accurate assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To update Finnish head circumference (HC) for age growth charts using contemporary data.
- To establish new references for HC and HC/height ratio for age in children aged 0-7 years.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mixed cross-sectional data from 19,715 healthy children aged 0-7 years.
- Employed generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) to fit reference curves.
Main Results:
- Contemporary Finnish children exhibit increased HC for age, especially after two years, compared to older charts.
- The standard deviation for HC was significantly larger in the older 1953-1964 reference data.
- A higher proportion of children in the new reference group exceeded the +2 SD limit of the older reference.
Conclusions:
- Periodic renewal of HC growth references is crucial due to observed secular changes.
- The newly developed Finnish HC for age reference charts should be implemented for clinical monitoring of child growth.
