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Dilemmas in choosing and using growth charts
Michael Hermanussen1, Kaspar Staub, Christian Assmann
1Centre for Evolutionary Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews : PER
|April 25, 2012
Summary
Human growth varies significantly, necessitating tailored growth charts. New methods allow for custom growth references to better reflect diverse populations and peer group influences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Biology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Human growth is a complex process influenced by genetics and environment, exhibiting significant variation in height and maturation rate.
- Existing "global" growth charts inadequately represent the diversity in human growth patterns across different ethnic and socio-economic groups.
- Peer group influence on growth is increasingly recognized, highlighting limitations of standardized references.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the inadequacy of single global growth references for diverse populations.
- To introduce novel, cost-effective methods for generating customized growth references.
- To facilitate the creation of "on-demand" growth charts for specific regional, ethnic, or socio-economic groups.
Main Methods:
- Development of novel, cost-effective procedures for data collection and analysis.
- Application of statistical methods to create region-specific growth references.
- Facilitation of "on-demand" reference generation for defined population subgroups.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of the feasibility of producing customized growth references.
- Validation of methods for regional and minority group growth charting.
- Provision of a framework for international growth and registry studies.
Conclusions:
- A single global growth reference is insufficient due to significant human growth diversity.
- Novel methods enable the creation of tailored growth charts for specific populations.
- These advancements support more accurate growth monitoring and research across diverse groups.
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