World Health Organization Charts Research Articles

Head circumference values among Inuit children in Nunavut, Canada: a retrospective cohort study.

Inuit children from Nunavut have been observed to have high rates of macrocephaly, which sometimes leads to burdensome travel for medical evaluation, often with no pathology identified upon assessment. Given reports that World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts may not reflect all populations, we sought to compare head circumference measurements in a cohort of Inuit children with the WHO charts. We extracted head circumference data from a previous retrospective cohort study where, with Inuit partnership, we reviewed medical records of Inuit children (from birth to age 5 yr) born between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2013, and residing in Nunavut. To create a cohort of Inuit children similar to the cohorts used in the development of the WHO growth charts, we excluded children with preterm birth, documented neurologic or genetic disease, and most congenital anomalies. We compared head circumference values with the 2007 WHO charts using centiles estimated with a generalized additive model. We analyzed records of 1960 Inuit children (8866 data points), of whom 993 (50.8%) were female. Most data were from ages 0 to 36 months. At all age points, we found that the study cohort had statistically significantly larger head circumferences than WHO medians, with most z scores for head circumference measurements among Inuit children falling 0.5-1 standard deviations above the WHO reference (p < 0.001). At age 12 months, median head circumferences were 1.3 cm and 1.5 cm larger for male and female Inuit children, respectively. Using WHO growth curves, macrocephaly was significantly overdiagnosed and microcephaly was underdiagnosed (p < 0.001). Our results support the observation that Inuit children from Nunavut have larger head circumferences than other populations, and use of the WHO charts may thus lead to overdiagnosis of macrocephaly and underdiagnosis of microcephaly. Population-specific growth curves for Inuit children should be considered to provide timely and appropriate diagnoses of microcephaly and avoid overinvestigation of macrocephaly.

Comparison of WHO 2006 Growth Standards and Synthetic Indian References in Assessing Growth in Normal Children and Children with Growth-Related Disorders.

A good screening tool, such as a growth chart, should distinguish between children with normal growth and those with perturbed growth. Suitability of synthetic Indian growth references for diagnosing growth-related disorders for under-five children has not been evaluated. To assess the validity of World Health Organization (WHO) 2006 standards vs synthetic Indian references (2019) (by comparing weight, height, body mass index (BMI), standard deviation scores (SDS) and the composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF)) in differentiating normal children and children with growth-related disorders. Records of 2188 children (0-60 months) attending a tertiary centre paediatric outpatient department (OPD) were retrospectively studied; 1854 children were healthy and 334 were diagnosed with growth-related disorders as per the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) classification. The anthropometric parameters converted to Z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), BMI-for-age (BAZ) and a CIAF were computed using WHO and synthetic charts; Student's t-test was used for assessing differences and Youden's index for validity. Disease status of children and anthropometric failure on WAZ, HAZ, BAZ and CIAF on both WHO and synthetic charts had a significant association (P-value <0.05). WAZ, HAZ on both charts and CIAF on synthetic chart had a fair to moderate agreement (Kappa statistics) with disease status as per diagnosis (P-value <0.05). The sensitivity and negative predictive value for all anthropometric parameters were higher for synthetic charts. Indian charts were more sensitive for diagnosing growth-related disorders from birth to 60 months of age when compared to WHO growth standards.

Comparison of Nutritional Status of Healthy Under-Five Indian Children Using Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure on WHO 2006 versus 2019 Indian Synthetic Growth Charts.

To assess nutritional status of apparently-healthy under-five Indian children using Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) and to compare anthropometric failure prevalence using conventional indices and CIAF on World Health Organization (WHO) vs. synthetic Indian growth charts. This observational study was conducted over 2 y. The inclusion criteria was apparently-healthy children (0-60 mo) and the exclusion criteria were acute/chronic illness and small for gestational age. A total of 1557 children (762 girls) were included in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 21 mo. The Z-scores for height, weight, body mass index (BMI) for age and weight for height in children were lower on WHO vs. synthetic charts (p=0.0001). Significantly higher proportion of children were moderately and severely underweight, stunted and wasted on WHO charts. Synthetic charts identified significantly higher proportion as normal for weight, height, BMI for age, weight for height, overweight (overall), and ahigher prevalence of severe stunting, and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) was notedamong girlscompared to boys. Using CIAF, 54.1% children were normal on WHO charts vs. 78.0% on synthetic (p=0.0001). Larger proportion of girls (8.8%) were stunted+underweight (category-E) vs. boys (4.3%) on synthetic charts (p=0.0003). Significantly higher proportion of children demonstrated failure (single/dual/multiple) on WHO charts except category-Y (higher proportion of underweight on synthetic charts). Maximum difference in CIAF (WHO vs. synthetic) was observed between 0-24 mo age. Of 1215 children normal on synthetic charts, 837 (68.9%) were normal on WHO charts. Of 116 underweight children (category-Y) on synthetic charts, 20 (17.2%) were underweight on WHO charts; remaining had compound failure (wasting+underweight = 49.1%, wasting+stunting+underweight = 14.7%, stunting+underweight = 12.1%) on WHO charts. Among those stunted+underweight (category-E) on synthetic charts, WHO charts classified 1/4th as wasted+stunted+underweight (category-D). Synthetic references are more representative of Indian growth patterns, and seem more appropriate for monitoring growth of Indian children to avoid mislabelling as malnourished.

Performance of the INTERGROWTH-21st and World Health Organization fetal growth charts for the detection of small-for-gestational age neonates in Latin America.

To evaluate the performance of INTERGROWTH-21st (IG-21st ) and World Health Organization (WHO) fetal growth charts to identify small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) neonates, as well as their specific risks for adverse neonatal outcomes. Multicenter cross-sectional study including 67 968 live births from 10 maternity units across four Latin American countries. According to each standard, neonates were classified as SGA and FGR (birth weight <10th and less than third centiles, respectively). The relative risk (RR) and diagnostic performance for a low APGAR score and low ponderal index were calculated for each standard. WHO charts identified more neonates as SGA than IG-21st (13.9% vs 7%, respectively). Neonates classified as having FGR by both standards had the highest RR for a low APGAR (RR, 5.57 [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.99-7.78]), followed by those who were SGA by both curves (RR, 3.27 [95% CI, 2.52-4.24]), while neonates with SGA identified by WHO alone did not have an additional risk (RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.55-1.39]). Furthermore, the diagnostic odds ratio for a low APGAR was higher when IG-21st was used. In a population from Latin America, the WHO charts seem to identify more SGA neonates, but the diagnostic performance of the IG-21st charts for low APGAR score and low ponderal index is better.

Improvement of Hand Hygiene Compliance Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act Method: Quality Improvement Project From a Tertiary Care Institute in Bihar, India.

BackgroundHospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are the most severe complications of intensive care stay, especially in pediatric patients. Proper hand hygiene (HH) is the cheapest, simplest, but often neglected method to prevent HAIs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated and promoted a standardized recommendation for HH. Both the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of soap and water for handwashing whenever there is visible dirt on the hands. In all other situations, an alcohol-based hand rub is an effective alternative. The quality improvement (QI) methodology has been widely followed in many countries to improve basic and advanced healthcare systems. The QI strategy follows the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) method.MethodologyThis quasi-experimental (pre- and post-intervention), prospective, QI study was conducted at the neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit of the pediatrics department in a tertiary care hospital in Bihar, India. A QI team was formed. The study was divided into four phases. WHO charts for assessing HH compliance were used for observation and data collection. The EQUATOR Checklist (Squire Checklist) was used to accurately report the QI work. Epi Info™ (version 7.2.5) was used for statistical analysis. The chi-square test was used to measure the statistical difference between pre- and post-intervention HH compliance (proportions).ResultsIn the pre-intervention phase, a total of 106 HH opportunities were observed. The HH compliance at this stage was 40.6%. The QI team conducted several meetings, and a root cause analysis was performed with the help of the Fishbone diagram. It was decided to target three probable causes, namely, (a) less awareness, (b) inconvenient locations of hand rub dispensers, and (c) forgetfulness. The QI team decided to run three PDSA cycles. In the last phase, 212 HH opportunities were observed with a compliance percentage of 69.8%. There was a significant improvement when data of pre- and post-intervention HH compliance were compared in all categories of healthcare workers (HCWs), except doctors, where the improvement was not statistically significant. When the cumulative data of all subtypes of HCWs were analyzed, there was a significant improvement (p < 0.0001). Run charts and box plots were used for the easy depiction of the results.ConclusionsAdopting proper HH methods remains the most effective way of preventing nosocomial infections, especially in intensive care units. We used the WHO model of HH in our study. The pre-intervention HH compliance was 40.6%. QI methodology using root cause analysis and implementation of three PDSA cycles were used to increase the HH compliance percentage. Post-intervention HH compliance increased to 69.8% and the effect was sustained. The study highlights the usefulness of the QI methodology in bringing small but important changes in clinical practice for better patient care.

A comparison of four fetal biometry growth charts within an Australian obstetric population.

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of four existing fetal growth charts to a local tertiary hospital obstetric population. Four existing fetal growth charts (the Raine study reference charts, INTERGROWTH-21st charts, World Health Organization (WHO) fetal growth study charts and Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) endorsed Campbell Westerway charts were compared using data from 11651 singleton pregnancy ultrasound scans at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH). The 3rd, 10th, 50th 90th and 97th percentile curves for abdominal circumference (AC) biometry for the KEMH data were calculated and the four primary correlation parameters from fitted 3rd order polynomials (a, b, c and d) were used to generate like-for-like comparisons for all charts. The overall comparisons showed a significant variation with different growth charts, giving different percentiles for the same fetal AC measurement. INTERGROWTH-21st percentile curves tended to fall below those of other charts for AC measurements. Both the Raine Study charts and ASUM charts were the charts of closest overall fit to the local data. Our data show the Raine Study charts are the most appropriate for our population compared with the other three charts assessed suggesting the 'one size fits all' model may not be appropriate. However, additional analysis of biometry measurements, primarily AC, is needed to address the deficiency of data at 14-18 weeks gestation which exists for the Raine Study data.A reasonable alternative may be to adopt the WHO charts with local calibration (including the 14 - 18 week gestation period).

Which chart and which cut-point: deciding on the INTERGROWTH, World Health Organization, or Hadlock fetal growth chart

ObjectiveTo determine how various centile cut points on the INTERGROWTH-21st (INTERGROWTH), World Health Organization (WHO), and Hadlock fetal growth charts predict perinatal morbidity/mortality, and how this relates to choosing a fetal growth chart for clinical use.MethodsWe linked antenatal ultrasound measurements for fetuses > 28 weeks’ gestation from the British Columbia Women’s hospital ultrasound unit with the provincial perinatal database. We estimated the risk of perinatal morbidity/mortality (decreased cord pH, neonatal seizures, hypoglycemia, and perinatal death) associated with select centiles on each fetal growth chart (the 3rd, 10th, the centile identifying 10% of the population, and the optimal cut-point by Youden’s Index), and determined how well each centile predicted perinatal morbidity/mortality.ResultsAmong 10,366 pregnancies, the 10th centile cut-point had a sensitivity of 11% (95% CI 8, 14), 13% (95% CI 10, 16), and 12% (95% CI 10, 16), to detect fetuses with perinatal morbidity/mortality on the INTERGROWTH, WHO, and Hadlock charts, respectively. All charts performed similarly in predicting perinatal morbidity/mortality (area under the curve [AUC] =0.54 for all three charts). The statistically optimal cut-points were the 39th, 31st, and 32nd centiles on the INTERGROWTH, WHO, and Hadlock charts respectively.ConclusionThe INTERGROWTH, WHO, and Hadlock fetal growth charts performed similarly in predicting perinatal morbidity/mortality, even when evaluating multiple cut points. Deciding which cut-point and chart to use may be guided by other considerations such as impact on workflow and how the chart was derived.

World Health Organization fetal growth charts applied in a French birth cohort

ObjectiveTo evaluate the applicability of World Health Organization (WHO) fetal growth charts for abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) at the second and third trimester ultrasounds in a French birth cohort. Materials and methodsUsing the ELFE cohort of live births after 33 weeks’ gestation in France in 2011, we selected 7747 singletons with fetal biometric measurements at the second (20–25 weeks) and third (30–35 weeks) trimester routine ultrasounds. We calculated proportions of fetuses <3rd and <10th percentiles and >90th and >97th percentiles for AC, FL and EFW using WHO charts and two international (Intergrowth and Hadlock) and two national (Salomon and CFEF) charts. Analyses were also carried out in a subsample of 4427 low-risk births. ResultsWHO charts classified 2,3% and 8–10% of fetuses <3rd and <10th percentiles respectively, for AC and FL in the second and third trimesters and EFW in the third trimester. Similarly, about 3 and 10% of fetuses had AC, FL and EFW >97th and >90th percentile in both trimesters. Hadlock and CFEF charts also provided a good fit for third-trimester EFW <10th percentile. For most measures, Intergrowth yielded low proportions <3rd and <10th percentile, and high proportions >90th and >97th percentiles. Proportions were slightly lower for low-risk pregnancies. ConclusionWHO charts provided a good description of the distribution of French fetal biometric measures. Further research is needed to assess the impact of using WHO charts on obstetrical management and perinatal outcomes.

Comparison of the performance of estimated fetal weight charts for the detection of small- and large-for-gestational age newborns with adverse outcomes: a French population-based study.

To compare the performance of estimated fetal weight (EFW) charts at the third trimester ultrasound for detecting small- and large-for-gestational age (SGA/LGA) newborns with adverse outcomes. Nationally representative observational study. French maternity units in 2016. 9940 singleton live births with an ultrasound between 30 and 35 weeks of gestation. We compared three prescriptive charts (INTERGROWTH-21st, World Health Organization (WHO), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD]), four descriptive charts (Hadlock, Fetal Medicine Foundation, two French charts) and a French customised growth model (Epopé). SGA and LGA (birthweights <10th and >90th percentiles) associated with adverse outcomes (low Apgar score, delivery-room resuscitation, neonatal unit admission). 2.1% and 1.1% of infants had SGA and LGA and adverse outcomes, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting these infants with an EFW <10th and >90th percentile varied from 29-65% and 84-96% for descriptive charts versus 27-60% and 83-96% for prescriptive charts. WHO and French charts were closest to the EFW distribution, yielding a balance between sensitivity and specificity for SGA and LGA births. INTERGROWTH-21st and Epopé had low sensitivity for SGA with high sensitivity for LGA. Areas under the receiving operator characteristics curve ranged from 0.62 to 0.74, showing low to moderate predictive ability, and diagnostic odds ratios varied from 7 to 16. Marked differences in the performance of descriptive as well as prescriptive EFW charts highlight the importance of evaluating them for their ability to detect high-risk fetuses. Choice of growth chart strongly affected identification of high-risk fetuses at the third trimester ultrasound.

Unisex vs sex-specific estimated fetal weight charts for fetal growth monitoring: a population-based study

In contrast with birthweight or other growth charts, a feature of most intrauterine charts is that they are not differentiated by sex. Differences in weight by sex during pregnancy are considered to be relatively minor; however, small systematic differences may affect the sensitivity and specificity of screening for fetuses with growth restriction. To assess differences between unisex and sex-specific estimated fetal weight charts at the third-trimester ultrasound with regard to the sex ratio of fetuses detected with an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile and subsequent detection of small-for-gestational-age newborns with morbidity at birth. The study included 9940 singleton live births from a French population-based study in 2016. Main outcomes were an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile at the routine third-trimester ultrasound between 30 and 35 weeks of gestation, and small for gestational age infants (birthweight <10th percentile) with neonatal morbidity (Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes and/or resuscitation in delivery room and/or admission to a neonatal unit). We used 2 charts with unisex and sex-specific options: the World Health Organization international standard chart and a customized chart for fetal sex based on Gardosi's gestation-related optimal weight model adapted to the French population (Epopé). Hadlock's unisex chart, commonly used in clinical care and research, was also included to provide an external reference. We compared the proportions of female and male fetuses with an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile and the sensitivity and specificity of such estimated fetal weight for predicting small-for-gestational-age newborns with morbidity when using unisex vs sex-specific charts, overall and by sex. Among all singleton births, there were 51.6% males and 48.4% females. Males faced higher risks of being small-for-gestational-age with morbidity at birth (2.4% vs 1.8%; P=.031). Using the World Health Organization unisex chart, 6.9% of males and 9.9% of females had an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile vs 9.9% of males and 7.1% of females with the sex-specific chart; these proportions were 3.5% and 4.6% and 4.3% and 2.7%, respectively, for the Epopé. Proportions of estimated fetal weight <10th percentile using Hadlock's chart were slightly higher than those obtained using the unisex World Health Organization chart (7.5% of males and 10.6% of females), but the difference of about 3% was the same. The sensitivity of an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile for identifying small-for-gestational-age newborns with morbidity differed for males and females by type of chart; unisex charts detected more small-for-gestational-age females with morbidity and sex-specific charts detected more small-for-gestational-age males with morbidity, but the overall sensitivity was the same (49.1% for the World Health Organization chart and Hadlock's chart and 34.9% for the Epopé chart). This study suggests that the use of sex-specific charts instead of unisex charts would reduce sex bias in intrauterine growth screening during the third trimester of pregnancy. Prospective studies are needed to assess the effects of using sex-specific charts rather than unisex charts on obstetrical management and outcomes.

Longitudinal Analysis (1994-2020) of Prevalence and Trends of Underweight in Polish Children.

Nutritional status disorders are a worldwide problem. Approximately 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year, and 45% of these deaths are related to malnutrition. The aim of the study was to analyse the prevalence of underweight children aged between 6 and 7 years old, living in the Gdańsk, Poland, in the years 1994–2020. The anthropometric parameters of 67,842 children were analysed. BMI (Body Mass Index) value <5 percentile (pc) was defined as underweight. The BMI value was compared to the WHO (World Health Organization) centile charts and the OLAF (research project PL0080) national reference charts. The prevalence of underweight children in relation to the WHO charts was 1.9%; underweight status was found to be more significant in the group of boys (2.1%) than the group of girls (1.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the OLAF centile charts, the underweight figure among all of the study population was 2.1% and no statistical significance between boys (2.1%) and girls (2.0%) was found (p = 0.670). The occurrence of underweight indviduals in the studied group slightly increased in the years 1994–2020. We found a statistically significant increasing linear trend in the analysis of underweight children in our group (p < 0.001), in group of boys (p < 0.001), but not girls (WHO p = 0.603; OLAF p = 0.787). This points to the need to conduct regular screening systems for children and adolescents.

The impact of anti-epidemic measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the seasonal influenza epidemic.

To the Editor: A new type of coronavirus—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in 2019.[1] On March 11, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General declared that the outbreak can be characterized as a pandemic.[2] According to the WHO,[3] on March 18, 2020, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 was over 200 thousands worldwide. In some countries, unprecedented anti-epidemic measures have been carried out to stop the spread of infection. Both influenza viruses and coronaviruses are respiratory pathogens with similar routes of infection and related pathogenesis.[4] As the emergence of COVID-19 coincides in time with epidemics of seasonal influenza in the Northern hemisphere, it is possible to assess efforts of health services for controlling coronavirus using the dynamics of influenza epidemics in certain countries. The WHO weekly updates data on the confirmed influenza cases in each country (FluNet-CHARTS). This study demonstrates data analysis of several regions of the Northern hemisphere. Specifically, in China, the highest rate of the influenza epidemic was registered in the second week of 2020 (more than 7000 cases per week). On January 25, that is, the fourth week of 2020, anti-epidemic measures were tightened because of COVID-19. Up to the seventh week in China with a population of 1.4 billion people, influenza rate decreased as low as indices typical of the inter-epidemic period (less than 400 per week) and to the eighth week lower than the background level (less than 20 events per week).[5] Thus, China has coped with the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously with the seasonal influenza epidemic. In South-West Europe, the influenza epidemic peak was observed in the fifth week of 2020 with 8500 detected cases per week. To the eleventh week, only 20 confirmed cases were registered, that is, 0.2% as compared to the value at epidemic peak.[5] In North America, the influenza epidemic peak was in the fifth week of 2020 with 30,000 detected events. To the eleventh week, 2500 confirmed influenza cases were registered, that is, 8.3% of the values at epidemic peak.[5] WHO data[5] demonstrate the impact of anti-epidemic measures on the influenza epidemic of 2020. However, those measures differently affected COVID-19 in the three aforementioned regions. The epidemiological response in China stopped the COVID-19 epidemic spreading, while in Italy and the USA the result is unsatisfactory. This could be explained by belated containment measures in South-West Europe and North America. It is believed that in future new viruses pathogenic for humans will emerge due to the presence of an unlimited natural reservoir of animal viruses. One of the most dangerous among them includes highly pathogenic influenza viruses. There is a likelihood that pandemic similar to the 1918 pandemic influenza[6] will emerge, which determines medical services in different countries to improve their working procedures. As WHO charts with dynamics of seasonal influenza epidemic show, in the countries affected by COVID-19, anti-epidemic measures can stop the seasonal influenza epidemic and possibly even pandemic caused by highly pathogenic influenza viruses provided that those measures are timely efforts of all or at least of the majority of countries worldwide. From the authors’ perspective, a concerted strategy should be elaborated for performing public health measures at the emergence of new respiratory viruses pathogenic for humans. Readiness programs for influenza pandemics developed in many countries can be used as the basis. Furthermore, since 1952 the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System has been successfully functioning. It combines more than 150 centers worldwide, whose laboratories have enough capacities to control emerging respiratory viruses. Funding This work was supported by State Assignments No. 3-16 (FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor). Conflicts of interest None.

Differences in the Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Cardiology Outpatients in Mali: Comparison between Framingham Body Mass Index-Based Tool and Low-Information World Health Organization Chart

Objective. This study aimed to compare 2 laborless tools, namely, the body mass index-based Framingham (bmi-Frm) and low-information WHO- (li-WHO-) based risk scores, and assess their agreement in outpatients in a cardiology department. Methodology. Data stem from a cross-sectional previous study performed from May to September 2016 in the Cardiology Department of University Hospital Gabriel Touré (UH-GT) in Bamako. All patients aged 40 and more were included in the study allowing the assessment of bmi-Frm and li-WHO prediction charts. The cardiovascular risk (CVR) was evaluated using a calculator prepared by D‘Agostino et al. for the bmi-Frm and the li-WHO chart for the Afro-D region of the WHO. The risk score for both ranged from &lt;10 to ≥40. The data were entered in an ACCESS 2010 database, then processed by MS Excel 2010, and finally analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. Continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations, and categorical variables were presented as frequencies with percentages. P &lt; 0.05 was considered the statistical significance level. After sample description, the risk score was assessed using bmi-Frm and li-WHO prediction tools. Finally, a kappa test was performed to check for the interreliability of both methods. For weighted kappa, coefficients were given all five classes of risk groups in 0, 25 steps from 1 for total concordance to 0 for total discordance. Results. This study involved 793 outpatients, 63.7% being female, 35.1% of them younger than 50 years, 57.9% with no formal education, and 67.7% with no medical insurance. Means for age, body mass index (BMI), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were, respectively, 53.81 ± 16.729 years, 25.29 ± 06.151 kg/m2, and 139.49 ± 27.110 mm Hg. Using the li-WHO prediction chart gives a much higher proportion of low-risk patients compared to bmi-Frm (83.6 vs. 37.7). Sociodemographic characteristics such as education or income level were not different in risk score neither for the bmi-Frm nor for the li-WHO risk score. The percentage of agreement between both tools was 40.4%, and agreement (kappa of 0.1 and weighted kappa of 0.2) was found to be slight. Conclusion. Using the bmi-Frm and li-WHO tool gives a similar risk estimation in younger female patients. Older patients must be evaluated using high-information tools with cholesterol, e.g., versions of the Framingham risk equation or WHO using cholesterol. These must be confirmed in further studies and compared to data from prospective studies

Diagnostic accuracy of fetal growth charts for placenta-related fetal growth restriction

IntroductionThe choice of fetal growth chart to be used in antenatal screening for fetal growth restriction (FGR) has an important impact on the proportion of fetuses diagnosed as small for gestational age (SGA), and on the detection rate for FGR. We aimed to compare diagnostic accuracy of SGA diagnosed using four different common fetal growth charts [Hadlock, Intergrowth-21st (IG21), World Health Organization (WHO), and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)], for abnormal placental pathology. MethodsA secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study in low-risk nulliparous women. The exposure was SGA (birthweight <10th centile for gestational age) using each of the four charts. The outcomes were one of three types of abnormal placental pathology associated with fetal growth restriction: maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM), chronic villitis, and fetal vascular malperfusion. ResultsA total of 742 nulliparous women met the study criteria. The proportion of SGA was closest to the expected rate of 10% using the Hadlock chart (12.7%). The detection rates (DR) and false positive rates (FPR) for MVM pathology were similar for the Hadlock (DR = 53.1%, FPR = 10.8%), WHO (DR = 59.4%, FPR = 14.2%), and NICHD (DR = 53.1%, FPR = 12.3%) charts, and each was superior when compared to the IG21 chart (DR = 34.4%, FPR = 3.8%, p < 0.001). The diagnosis of SGA was associated with increased risks of preeclampsia and preterm birth for all four charts. DiscussionThe selection of fetal growth chart to be used in screening programs for FGR has important implications with regard to the false positive and detection rate for FGR.

Constructing a representative in-silico population for paediatric simulations: Application to HIV-positive African children.

AimsSimulations are an essential tool for investigating scenarios in pharmacokinetics‐pharmacodynamics. The models used during simulation often include the effect of highly correlated covariates such as weight, height and sex, and for children also age, which complicates the construction of an in silico population. For this reason, a suitable and representative patient population is crucial for the simulations to produce meaningful results. For simulation in paediatric patients, international growth charts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide a reference, but these may not always be representative for specific populations, such as malnourished children with HIV or acutely unwell children.MethodsWe present a workflow to construct a virtual paediatric patient population using WHO and CDC growth charts, suggest piecewise linear functions to adjust the median of the growth charts by sex and age, and suggest visual diagnostics to compare with the target population. We applied this workflow in a population of 1206 HIV‐positive African children, consisting of 19 742 observations with weight ranging from 3.8 to 79.7 kg, height from 55.5 to 180 cm, and an age between 0.40 and 18 years.ResultsBefore adjustment, the WHO and CDC charts produced weights and heights higher compared to the observed data. After applying our methodology, we could simulate weight, height, sex and age combinations in good agreement with the observed data.ConclusionThe methodology presented here is flexible and may be applied to other scenarios where WHO and CDC growth standards might not be appropriate. In addition we provide R scripts and a large ready‐to‐use paediatric population.

Comparison of Nutritional Status of Under-Five Indian Children (NFHS 4 Data) Using WHO 2006 Charts and 2019 Indian Synthetic Charts.

Introduction:There is a growing body of evidence against using World Health Organization (WHO) charts for developing nations. Our objectives were: 1) To compare nutritional status of <5-year-old Indian children using WHO charts and synthetic Indian charts (SC) 2019. 2) To study nutritional status across wealth index categories. 3) To study nutritional status of predominantly breast-fed infants <6 months of age using both charts.Materials and Methods:Data from 4th National Family Health Survey (n ~ 236117, 0--59-month-old children) were used for assessing nutritional status using the WHO charts and SC. Z-scores were calculated for length/height, weight, and weight-for-height (WAZ) using both charts. Children were classified into degrees of malnutrition using appropriate cutoffs.Results:Stunting, wasting, and underweight were significantly higher using WHO charts. The prevalence of stunting (height for age) and wasting (WHZ) changed from high to medium and critical to poor when the reference changed from WHO to SC. All Z-scores showed an improving trend with increasing wealth index. On SC, almost all WHZ (wasting) from the richest to poorer were >-0.5 (clinically significant), whereas on WHO charts all wealth classes had WHZ <-0.5. For children under the age of 6 months, WHZ from richest to poorest was between -0.97 and -0.89 by WHO and 0.27 and 0.38 by SC.Conclusions:Use of Indian synthetic growth charts for growth monitoring of under-five children may be more appropriate; infants under 6 months and children from well off families performed well on these charts.

Intrauterine growth patterns in rural Ethiopia compared with WHO and INTERGROWTH-21st growth standards: A community-based longitudinal study.

IntroductionChildren’s well-being is highly influenced by their fetal growth. Adequate intrauterine growth (IUG) is a basic feature of a healthy pregnancy. The aim of our study was to assess IUG patterns in a rural and drought-affected population in the Rift Valley area of the Adami Tullu district in Oromia, Ethiopia.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal, community-based study of IUG patterns utilizing serial ultrasound measurements. Data were collected for 17 months, from July 2016 to November 2017. We included 675 singleton foetuses ≤ 24 weeks old, based on ultrasound-derived estimates of gestational age, and followed them until delivery. We obtained head circumference, biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, femur length, and estimated fetal weight at 26, 30, and 36 weeks. Fetal weight was estimated using the Hadlock algorithm, and the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th centiles were developed from this model. We compared the biometric measurements and fetal weight data from our study to the World Health Organization (WHO) and INTERGROWTH-21st fetal growth reference standards.ResultsDistribution of the biometric measurements and estimated fetal weights in our study were similar to those for the WHO and INTERGROWTH-21st references. Most measurements were between -2 and +2 of the reference z-scores. Based on the smoothed percentiles, the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles of our study had similar distribution patterns to the WHO chart, and the 50th percentile had a similar pattern to the INTERGROWTH-21st chart.ConclusionsOur study determined fetal growth patterns in a drought-affected rural community of Ethiopia using common ultrasound biometric measurements. We found similar IUG patterns to those indicated in the WHO and INTERGROWTH-21st fetal growth reference standards.

Development of birth weight for gestational age charts and comparison with currently used charts: defining growth in the Polish population

Objectives This study aimed to obtain the reference curves of birth weight for gestational age percentiles for the Polish population and to compare them to published charts in terms of detected proportions of small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA). Methods The reference curves of birth weight from 24 to 42 weeks of gestation were computed based on 39,092 singleton deliveries. The nomograms included the 3rd to the 97th percentiles and standard deviations. The percentiles were calculated for female and male newborns. The theoretical and true proportions of percentiles for the studied population were estimated based on six growth charts (Fenton, Intergrowth Project, global reference chart, Yudkin, Dubiel, and the World Health Organization chart). Results The 50th percentile male and female newborns at 40 weeks weighed 3645.8 and 3486.7 g, respectively. The difference was 159.1 g. The ranges between the 3rd and 97th percentile at 40 weeks were 1481.5 g for males and 1423.5 for females. A total of 9.8% SGA and 10.27% LGA were defined, higher than that identified using the Fenton chart and even higher than that identified using the Intergrowth Project. Conclusion Population growth charts identify more newborns with abnormal growth (both LGA and SGA). The similarity between charts in LGA above the 95th percentile is observed. The discrepancies in SGA are significantly greater, specifically in preterm births than in term births. Similar coverage is found in term pregnancies, regardless of birth weight for gestational age or intrauterine charts. The feasibility of a Polish population growth chart needs to be validated for predicting adverse perinatal outcomes.

Proportion of Basal to Total Insulin Dose Is Associated with Metabolic Control, Body Mass Index, and Treatment Modality in Children with Type 1 Diabetes—A Cross-Sectional Study with Data from the International SWEET Registry

To investigate in a large population the proportion of daily basal insulin dose (BD) to daily total insulin dose (TD) (BD/TD) and its association with glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c),body mass index (BMI)- SDS, and treatment modality in children with type 1 diabetes. Cross-sectional study in subjects with type 1 diabetes, age ≤18years, and ≥2years of diabetes duration, registered in the international multicenter Better control in Pediatric and Adolescent diabeteS: Working to crEate CEnTers of Reference registry in March 2018. Variables included region, sex, age, diabetes duration, treatment modality (multiple daily injections [MDI] or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII]), self-monitoring blood glucose, HbA1c, BD/TD, and BMI-SDS. BMI was converted to BMI-SDS using World Health Organization charts as reference. Hierarchic linear regression models were applied with adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes duration. A total of 19 687 children with type 1 diabetes (49% female, 49% CSII users) with median age 14.8 (11.5; 17.2) years and diabetes duration 6.0 (3.9; 9.0) years were included. HbA1c was 63 (55; 74) mmol/mol (7.9 [7.2; 8.9]%), and BMI-SDS 0.55 (-0.13; 1.21). Unadjusted, a lower BD/TD was associated with lower HbA1c, male sex, younger age, shorter diabetes duration, lower BMI-SDS, higher numbers of self-monitoring blood glucose and CSII (all P<.01). After adjustment for confounders, lower BD/TD was associated with lower HbA1c (P<.01) and lower BMI-SDS (P<.01) in children on CSII, but not on MDI. Lower BD/TD is positively associated with lower HbA1c and lower BMI-SDS in children with type 1 diabetes on CSII. It remains to be investigated in a prospective study whether reducing BD/TD insulin will improve metabolic control and normalize body weight in children with type 1 diabetes.

Growth and development in school-age children from Rostov region, Russia: Comparison between urban and rural settings

The purposes of the current study were: (1) to describe growth and physical development and establish norms for schoolchildren from Rostov region in Russia; (2) to compare major characteristics of development between urban and rural children by sex and age.Nearly 200,000 children (198,712) aged between 7 and 17 years from 232 urban and rural schools of Rostov region (Southern Federal District of Russia) participated in the study. School age is a period of intensive growth and physiological and psychological development. Irregularities of personal development are caused by a multitude of factors, such as sex differences, heredity, socio-economic status of a family, standard of living, particular environmental conditions, and lifestyle.It has been established that children from the Southern Federal District of Russia had body mass index values higher than age-appropriate norms for all Russians (Total Russian, Rudnev et al., 2014) and World Health Organization charts. Children from urban settings were taller and heavier than children from rural settings.Sex is one of the most influential factors which play key role in determining specific characteristics of growth and personal development. According to our results, boys and girls both had similar age-related changes in weight and height, but their respective dynamics differed. Girls’ height and weight values accelerated at the age 10 to 12 years and plateaued after the age fourteen, whereas in boys height and weight steadily increased with age, showing slight acceleration at the age 12 to 13 years, and reached a plateau by the age of seventeen.