Accurate height and length estimation in hospitalized children not fulfilling WHO criteria for standard measurement: a multicenter prospective study

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics 2024-10, Vol.183 (10), p.4275-4286
• Main Authors: Ford Chessel, Carole, Berthiller, Julien, Haran, Isabelle, Tume, Lyvonne N., Bourgeaud, Christelle, Tsapis, Michael, Gaillard-Le Roux, Benedicte, Gauvard, Evelyne, Loire, Claire, Guillot, Camille, Mouneydier, Karine, Nolent, Paul, Blache, Thibault, Cour Andlauer, Fleur, Rooze, Shancy, Jotterand Chaparro, Corinne, Morice, Claire, Subtil, Fabien, Huot, Margaux, Valla, Frédéric V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anthropometry - methods; Applications; Body Height; Body measurements; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Child, Preschool; Children; Female; Growth Charts; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intensive care units; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Male; Measurement techniques; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Methodology; Nutritional status; Observer Variation; Pediatrics; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Statistics; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 1432-1076; 0340-6199; 1432-1076
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-024-05692-3

In hospitalized children, height should be measured. When world health organization (WHO) height measurement gold standards is impossible, the ideal height estimation technique is still unclear. We conducted an international prospective study in eight different pediatric intensive care units to assess the accuracy, precision, practicability, safety, and inter-rater reliability of 12 different height estimation techniques, based on body segment measurement extrapolation, or other calculations using previous or projected heights. All extrapolation techniques were performed on each child, and later compared to their WHO gold standard heights. A total of 476 patients were enrolled. In the