ESPE Abstracts

Background and Aim: Despite the broad individual variation of pubertal maturation, references traditionally describe growth in relation to just chronological age and not biological age. Hence, growth references for the adolescent period have been of limited usefulness for monitoring individual growth in clinic and for research. Especially for children and adolescents with chronic diseases is there a need to better evaluate if changes in SD-scores just before a...

Background: Since growth patterns change with time due to secular changes, there is a need to regularly update growth references1. We developed the first continuous birth size reference, from gestational age 24weeks with infancy growth references2, computerized 2006 and used in Swedish health care settings and neonatal units. We now aimed to update this reference by exchanging GrowUp1974Gothenburg cohort to a selected population of health...

Background: Height references have been available for decades, although only related to chronological age and not considering the broad individual variation in the timing and tempo of pubertal maturation and growth. Therefore, growth references and growth charts for the adolescent period have been of limited usefulness both for monitoring growth in individuals and for research. To fill this gap, we recently developed a new type of height reference based on gro...

Context: Specific references for height, weight and BMI that consider the maturation tempo for onset of puberty are lacking worldwide.Aim: To fill the gap, by developing specific pubertal references for heightSDS, weightSDS and BMISDS, all aligned for the individual onset of puberty.Method: Reference population: a subgroup of GrowUp1990Gothenburg cohort of 1572 (763 girls) health...

Background: Growth charts provide excellent help to the pediatric team in identifying abnormal growth patterns. However, the evaluation is highly dependent on the skills of the clinician. A computerized automatic screening system will add quality and patient safety in finding children with disorders affecting growth. Such screening system has been developed and tested in Finland and resulted in earlier detection of growth disorders1-3.Aim: To ...

Background: The actual Swedish growth references are based on a cohort born 1974.Objective and hypotheses: Due to secular changes there is need for new height references.Method: Material: Height measurements from birth to adult height (AH) in a cohort of healthy, Nordic and born full term 1990, 20.796 from 1647 boys, 19.202 from 1501 girls were used (ALL) and compared to both a subgroup with puberty close to mean (PHV &#17...

Background: A rapid weight gain during infancy increases adult lean body mass, whereas weight gain during adiposity rebound at age 4-7 years results in increased adult fat mass and an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome and T2D. To understand the impact of age of obesity onset on growth, we classified non-syndromic childhood overweight into an early onset (EO, age 0-3) and a late onset (LO, age 3-7) group and characterized the growth patterns of the two.<...

Background: Growth in height during puberty can be described by the QEPS-model as a combination of continuous basal growth, QES, and a specific pubertal growth function, P.Objective and hypotheses: To study the relationship between childhood BMISDS and the prepubertal gain and pubertal gain related to growth functions from the QEPS-model.Method: The longitudinally followed GrowUpGothenburg 1990 birth co...

Background, objective and hypotheses: By using QEPS, a new mathematic growth model, different components of growth can be analyzed, comparing secular trends of prepubertal and pubertal growth in Swedish birth cohorts born 1974 and 1990.Materials and methods: Two birth cohorts followed to adult height (AH) born around 1974 (1691 boys; 1666 girls) and 1990 (1647 boys; 1501 girls) being healthy, Nordic and born term. A subpopulation of 1974 (1177 boys; 1168...

Background: Weight in childhood may influence the pubertal timing and pattern of growth.Objective: To investigate the impact of BMI in childhood on further growth, especially the specific pubertal pattern of growth.Method: The longitudinally followed GrowUpGothenburg1990 birth cohort, was analyzed using the QEPS growth model (Nierop et al. Horm Res in Ped. 2013; 80(suppl 1):152–153) (describi...