Towards evidence based referral criteria for growth monitoring.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of growth monitoring in detecting diseases. Turner's syndrome (TS) is taken as the target disease.


METHODS
Case-control simulation study. Three archetypal screening rules are applied to longitudinal growth data comparing a group with TS versus a reference group from birth to the age of 10 years. Main outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, and median referral age.


RESULTS
Clear differences in performance of the rules were found. The best rule takes parental height into account. Combining rules could improve diagnostic accuracy.


CONCLUSIONS
Growth monitoring is useful to screen for TS. A combined rule that takes absolute height SDS, parental height, and deflection in height velocity into account is the best way to do this. Similar research is needed for other diseases, populations, and ages, and the results should be synthesised into evidence based referral criteria.
van Buuren
S
S
Dept of Statistics, TNO Prevention and Health, Leiden, Netherlands. S.vanBuuren@pg.tno.nl
van Dommelen
P
P
Zandwijken
G R J
GR
Grote
F K
FK
Wit
J M
JM
Verkerk
P H
PH
D001827:Body Height; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012372:ROC Curve; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity