Nationwide age references for sitting height, leg length, and sitting height/height ratio, and their diagnostic value for disproportionate growth disorders

Nationwide age references for sitting height, leg length, and sitting height/height ratio, and their diagnostic value for disproportionate growth disorders

Fredriks, A.M.
van Buuren, S.
van Heel, W.J.M.
Dijkman-Neerincx, R.H.M.
Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P.
Wit, J.M.
TNO Kwaliteit van Leven

2005

Aims: To obtain age references for sitting height (SH), leg length (LL), and SH/H ratio in the Netherlands; to evaluate how SH standard deviation score (SDS), LL SDS, SH/H SDS, and SH/LL SDS are related to height SDS; and to study the usefulness of height corrected SH/H cut-off lines to detect Marfan syndrome and hypochondroplasia. Methods: Cross-sectional data on height and sitting height were collected from 14 500 children of Dutch origin in the age range 0-21 years. Reference SD charts were constructed by the LMS method. Correlations were analysed in three age groups. SH/H data from patients with Marfan syndrome and genetically confirmed hypochondroplasia were compared with height corrected SH/H references. Results: A positive association was observed between H SDS, SH SDS, and LL SDS in all age groups. There was a negative correlation between SH/H SDS and height SDS. In short children with a height SDS <-2 SDS, a cut-off limit of +2.5 SD leads to a more acceptable percentage of false positive results. In exceptionally tall children, a cut-off limit of -2.2 SDS can be used. Alternatively, a nomogram of SH/H SDS versus H SDS can be helpful. The sensitivity of the height corrected cut-off lines for hypochondroplasia was 80% and for Marfan syndrome only 30%. Conclusions: In exceptionally short or tall children, the dependency of the SH/H ratio (SDS) on height SDS has to be taken into consideration in the evaluation of body proportions. The sensitivity of the cut-off lines for hypochondroplasia is fair.

Health
Jeugd en Gezondheid
Diagnostic procedure
Growth disorder
Hypochondroplasia
Leg length
Major clinical study
Marfan syndrome
Newborn
Nomogram
Reference value
Sitting
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Anthropometry
Body Height
Bone Diseases
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Crown-Rump Length
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Leg
Male
Marfan Syndrome
Netherlands
Posture
Reference Values
Regression Analysis

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:31dc9255-f944-42f5-aceb-24125c19cee4

https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2004.050799

238630

0003-9888

Archives of Disease in Childhood, 90 (8), 807-812

article