Open AccessGrowth Monitoring: A Survey of Current Practices of Primary Care Paediatricians in Europe
Author(s) -
Pauline Scherdel,
JeanFrançois Salaün,
Marie-Noëlle Robberecht-Riquet,
Laura Reali,
Gabriella Páll,
Elke JägerRoman,
Manuel Praena Crespo,
Marilena Moretto,
Margareta Seher-Zupančič,
Sigurlaug Agustsson,
Martin Chalumeau
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0070871
Subject(s) - primary care , medicine , standardization , pediatrics , family medicine , health care , computer science , political science , law , operating system
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.