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Growth charts for Chinese Down syndrome children from birth to 14 years
  1. Xuefen Su1,2,
  2. Joseph Tak Fai Lau1,2,
  3. Chak Man Yu3,
  4. Chun Bong Chow4,
  5. Lai Ping Lee4,
  6. Betty Wai Man But5,
  7. Winnie Ka Ling Yam6,
  8. Philomena Wan Ting Tse7,
  9. Eva Lai Wah Fung8,
  10. Kai Chow Choi9
  1. 1School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
  2. 2Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, PR China
  3. 3Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China
  4. 4Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China
  5. 5Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China
  6. 6Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China
  7. 7Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong, PR China
  8. 8Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, PR China
  9. 9The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
  1. Correspondence to Professor Kai Chow Choi, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Esther Lee Building 732, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, PR China; kchoi{at}cuhk.edu.hk

Abstract

Objective To establish Down syndrome (DS)-specific growth charts for Hong Kong Chinese children.

Design and setting Growth data were collected from (1) members of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association (cross-sectional); (2) DS children attending special schools or living in residential homes (cross-sectional); and (3) the paediatric departments of seven public hospitals (retrospective).

Patients 425 DS children (57% males and 43% females) born in 1977–2000, yielding 4987 observations.

Main outcome measures The LMS method was used to construct reference centile curves of weight, height, body mass index (BMI) from birth until 14 years and head circumference for the first 4 years.

Results The median birth length was 49.8 cm and height at age 14 was 146.7 cm for DS boys. Corresponding figures for DS girls were 49.5 and 142.1 cm. The median birth weight was 3.0 kg for DS boys and 2.9 kg for DS girls. At age 14, 26% DS boys (BMI >22.6 kg/m2) and 12% DS girls (BMI >23.3 kg/m2) were overweight. The median head circumference at birth was 32.8 cm for boys and 32.0 cm for girls.

Conclusions Chinese DS children had a shorter stature, lower weight and tendency to be overweight than local non-DS children. Their growth patterns differed from those of Chinese DS children in Taiwan, and DS children in the USA and Sweden. Growth retardation was most salient during the first year of life.

  • Down Syndrome
  • Chinese children
  • growth charts

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