Growth monitoring: a survey of current practices of primary care paediatricians in Europe.
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ABSTRACT: Objective
We aimed to study current practices in growth monitoring by European primary care paediatricians and to explore their perceived needs in this field.Methods
We developed a cross-sectional, anonymous on-line survey and contacted primary care paediatricians listed in national directories in the 18 European countries with a confederation of primary care paediatricians. Paediatricians participated in the survey between April and September 2011.Results
Of the 1,198 paediatricians from 11 European countries (response rate 13%) who participated, 29% used the 2006 World Health Organization Multicentre Growth Reference Study growth charts, 69% used national growth charts; 61% used software to draw growth charts and 79% did not use a formal algorithm to detect abnormal growth on growth charts. Among the 21% of paediatricians who used algorithms, many used non-algorithmic simple thresholds for height and weight and none used the algorithms published in the international literature. In all, 69% of paediatricians declared that a validated algorithm to monitor growth would be useful in daily practice. We found important between-country variations.Conclusion
The varied growth-monitoring practices declared by primary care paediatricians reveals the need for standardization and evidence-based algorithms to define abnormal growth and the development of software that would use such algorithms.
SUBMITTER: Scherdel P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3734305 | biostudies-literature | 2013
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Growth monitoring: a survey of current practices of primary care paediatricians in Europe.
Scherdel Pauline P Salaün Jean-François JF Robberecht-Riquet Marie-Noëlle MN Reali Laura L Páll Gabriella G Jäger-Roman Elke E Crespo Manuel Praena MP Moretto Marilena M Seher-Zupančič Margareta M Agustsson Sigurlaug S Chalumeau Martin M
PloS one 20130805 8
<h4>Objective</h4>We aimed to study current practices in growth monitoring by European primary care paediatricians and to explore their perceived needs in this field.<h4>Methods</h4>We developed a cross-sectional, anonymous on-line survey and contacted primary care paediatricians listed in national directories in the 18 European countries with a confederation of primary care paediatricians. Paediatricians participated in the survey between April and September 2011.<h4>Results</h4>Of the 1,198 pa ...[more]
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