Reproduction 5 - Child Growth & Development Flashcards
What do centile charts measure?
- Height
- Weight
- Head circumference (measures brain development)
- BMI
How are centile charts used?
- Plot the age against height
- 50% of children shorter than 50th centile, and 25% shorter than 25th centile
- Different for boys and girls
How are children measured accurately?
- Equipment should be accurate and maintained properly
- Position the child properly
- Make sure you take shoes off and hair out of the way
- Calculate age and plot correctly
- Measured lying down before the child is old enough to stand
How is child height monitored?
- Centile charts look at cumulative height
- Height velocity is how fast a child is growing in cm per year (height now-height last visit / age now-age last visit)
- Consider growth of parents and siblings
List influences of normal child growth
- Events before birth- poor fetal growth, low birth weight, prematurity
- Medical issues in childhood- malnutrition, chronic disease, endocrine problems including growth hormone deficiency
- Genetic factors- the height of the family and any inherited disorders of growth.
- Randomness. (Not every child of the same parents will be the same adult height, and tall parents can occasionally have a short child. There are multiple genes which determine adult height, and these are randomly distributed at conception.)
How do children grow?
- Fastest phase in the first 2 years (first year 23-25cm)
- Most children move to a centile position at this age and then stick with it
- Movement up or down centiles is then unusual (pattern is the most important thing)
- Phase of fast growth at puberty - pubertal growth spurt
- Timing of this depends on the age at which the child enters puberty
- Skeleton matures as the child grows. At the end of puberty, the epiphyses fuse and growth stops
- Late puberty can result in falling behind in height
- In childhood nutrition has less impact
Describe the hormonal control of growth and growth hormone secretion
- GH is the more important hormonal factor
- Controlled by GNRH from the hypothalamus, and somatostatin which suppresses it
- Released as pulses mostly overnight
- GH has growth effect itself and also stimulates release of IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1)
- IGF1 stimulates growth in all tissues of the body, and exerts negative feedback
- Influenced by nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress
List causes of short stature
- Pubertal and growth delay
- IUGR/SGA
- Chronic disease (causing inflammation)
- Endocrine causes - GH deficiency, thyroid hormone deficiency, steroid excess
- Genetic disorders (achondroplasia, turner, downs syndrome)
- Psychological distress and neglect
- If a normal pattern, there may not be a medical problem - eg. short parents)
List causes of tall stature
- Marfan or Soto sydrome
- Tall parents
- GH excess from a pituitary tumour (rare)
- Children with precocious puberty will be tall children, but short adults as growth stops early
How are short children treated?
- If confirmed GH deficiency they will receive treatment
- Treatment for other bone growth disorders
- However, short normal children receive no treatment as it is not worth the time and expense
How is obesity defined?
- For adults BMI of over 25 kg/m2 is overweight and over 30 kg/m2 is obese.
- Children have lower BMI than adults and this changes with age so these figures do not apply, therefore obesity is assessed on the BMI centile position.
Describe incidence of obesity worldwide
- Rates of obesity and overweight have increased but may not continue to go up at the same rate for the future
- There are some nations who have a much higher rate of obesity than others. In some areas of the world obesity is a feature of poverty and in others associated with affluence.
- Some ethnic groups have less “tolerance” of obesity and are more likely to get complications like type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI
- 2/3 adults, 1/4 2-10 year olds, 1/3 11-15 year olds
What are the complications of obesity?
- Barker hypothesis (risk of death higher in very underweight or very overweight individuals)
- Type 2 diabetes
- PCOS
- Cardiovascular disease (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)
- Breathing difficulties
- Bone and joint problems
- Some cancers
- Orpthopaedic problems
- Emotional and behavioural (stigmatism, bullying, low self-esteem)
Why does obesity happen?
- Balance of food versus energy expenditure
- Hunger is regulated by the hypothalamus (eg. leptin, POMC, PC-1, MC4R). Small number of people have gene mutations affecting these hormones/ receptors.
- Some gene variants (eg. FTO gene) affect eating behaviour and appetite, and can make an individual eat in a way more likely to gain weight)
Describe history taken in children
- Antenatal – illnesses/infections; medications; drugs; environmental exposures
- Birth – Prematurity, Prolonged/complicated labour
- Postnatal – illnesses/infections; Trauma
- Consanguinity – increases chances of chromosomal or autosomal recessive conditions
- Developmental milestones from parent
Describe examinations taken to monitor child development
- Growth parameters (height, weight and head circumference)
- Dysmorphic features
- Neurological examination and skin
- Systems examination to identify associations, syndromes
- Standardised developmental assessment – Schedule of growing skills II, bailey developmental scale, denver
How are abnormalities in child development monitored?
Depends on suspected cause but may include
- Cytogenetic studies
- Metabolic screen (thyroid, renal, liver and bone profiles)
- Blood ammonia and lactate
- Urine and blood organic and amino acids
- Creatine kinase
- Imaging – CT, MRI
- EEG
- Nerve and muscle biopsy
- Referral to other members of the MDT
What is cerebral palsy?
- Disorder of movement and posture arising from a non-progressive lesion of the brain acquired before the age of 2 years.
- Affecting corticospinal pathways - flexor contraction overcomes extensor movement
- Incidence 1-2 per 1000 live births
- Most causes (~80%) are antenatal
- Presentation may evolve and vary with age
List associated problems with cerebral palsy
- Learning difficulties
- Epilepsy
- Visual impairment
- Hearing loss
- Feeding difficulties
- Poor growth
- Respiratory problems.
How are children with cerebral palsy managed?
- Minimise spasticity and manage associated problems
- Dietitian
- Specialist health visitor (advice for parents, advocate)
- Paediatritian (Assessment, diagnosis, medial management
- Psychologist (monitor cognitive function, behavioural testing, educational advice)
- Speech and language therapist (feeding, language and speech development)
- Physiotherapist (balance and mobillity)
- Occupational therapist (hand eye coordination, housing adaptations)
What is autism spectrum disorder?
- Prevalence is 3-6 per 1000 live births
- Boys>girls
- Usually presents between 2 – 4 years of age
- Features include impaired social interaction; speech and language disorder; and imposition of routines with ritualistic and repetitive behaviour.
What are the comorbidities of autism?
- Learning and attention difficulties
- Epilepsy
How is autism managed?
Intensive support for the child and family
List diagnositc criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
- Lasting > 6 months
- Commencing < 7 years and inconsistent with the child’s developmental level
- These features should be present in more than one setting, and cause significant social or school impairment.