New French height velocity growth charts: an innovative big-data approach based on routine measurements
Growth monitoring in children is a simple and universal activity, aimed at the early detection of several serious conditions (Turner’s syndrome, growth hormone deficiency) in order to improve their prognosis. Growth monitoring is based simultaneously on the use of growth charts and growth parameters (height, weight, target height, height velocity). Height velocity is one of the most sensitive criteria used to define abnormal growth. Updating growth charts is therefore essential to improve growth monitoring.
The aim of this study was to develop new growth velocity growth charts using a big data approach based on growth data routinely collected from healthcare professionals, as recently used to generate new growth charts for weight, height and head circumference.
New annual (12-month interval) and biannual (6-month interval) velocity growth charts were generated from 193,124 and 209,221 annual and biannual velocity height values of 80,204 and 87,260 children aged 1 month to 15 years, respectively, derived from electronic medical records of 42 primary care physicians between 1 January 1990 and 8 February 2018 and collected throughout mainland France.
This update will make it possible to optimize the performance of growth monitoring.
- The results of this study were the subject of a scientific publication published in January 2025 in the journal Acta Paediatrica:
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apa.17433
- and of an editorial by Paula van Dommelen on this publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.17454
By Barbara Heude, Martin Chalumeau, Pauline Scherdel
Figure. Annual growth rate curves for girls compared with monthly empirical values
