title: Management of growth delay in patients aged less than 6 years.
abstract: The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations in general practice involving the management of growth delay. "Growth delay" encompasses physical problems such as "failure to thrive" and "delayed physical development" in infants and children. Over 80% of encounters at which growth delay was managed were with patients aged less than 6 years, so we have concentrated our analysis on this early childhood group. This provides a backdrop against which articles in this issue of Australian Family Physician can be further considered.
authors.affiliation: AIHW Australian GP Statistics and Classification Unit, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.forename: Anthea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution