Newswise \u2014 Growth charts for children with rare genetic disorders – giving healthcare professionals and families clearer guidance on how a child is developing – have been created by an international team, led by the University of Bristol.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The National Institute for Health and Care Research<\/a> (NIHR)-funded study is published in the European Journal of Human Genetics (EJHG) today [13 October].\u00a0<\/p>\n The new method, called LMSz, builds on standard population growth charts but adapts them for very small groups of children with rare genetic conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Growth charts \u2014 the familiar lines on a child\u2019s height and weight chart\u2014 are an important part of everyday paediatric care. They help healthcare professionals check whether a child is growing as expected and spot health concerns early.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the UK, a child’s Personal Child Health Record (PCHR) \u2013 commonly known as the “red book” \u2013 is a vital health and development record given to parents at birth to track a child’s growth, vaccinations, and key developmental milestones. It’s used by both parents and healthcare professionals to record health information and ensure a child receives timely check-ups, screenings, and immunisations.\u00a0<\/p>\n But for children with rare genetic conditions, standard growth charts often don\u2019t tell the full story. These children may grow much more slowly or quickly than other children, leaving parents and healthcare professionals unsure whether the child\u2019s growth is typical for their condition. Until now, there hasn\u2019t been enough data to make accurate, condition-specific growth charts.<\/p>\n An international team of researchers has solved this problem with a new method that can create reliable growth charts even when only a small number of cases are available.\u00a0<\/p>\n The study used data from almost 600 children worldwide to make growth charts for six rare genetic conditions: ANKRD11, ARID1B, ASXL3, DDX3X, KMT2A, and SATB2.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Karen Low<\/a>, NIHR Clinical Research Fellow in Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences<\/a> (PHS), who led the research, said: \u201cParents of children with rare genetic conditions often feel anxious when their child\u2019s growth looks very different from other children. They also tell us that health professionals can make them very worried about this or question why their child isn\u2019t growing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur growth charts help show what\u2019s typical for that specific condition, which can provide reassurance or might highlight in which children medical intervention is required which supports better medical care.\u201d<\/p>\n The new growth charts show how growth patterns vary between different conditions. For example, some children tend to be much smaller than average, while others may gain weight more rapidly over time. This information can help healthcare professionals make more informed decisions and give families a clearer picture of what to expect as their child grows.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s method was developed with DECIPHER and is now being built into DECIPHER<\/a>, a widely used online platform for understanding genetic variation hosted at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI<\/a>). This means growth charts could soon be available for thousands of rare conditions, helping healthcare professionals and families around the world.<\/p>\n Based on the study\u2019s preprint paper, the new method is already being used by two other research groups for other rare disease disorders.<\/p>\n Dr Karen Low added: \u201cWe hope our new method will mean that condition specific charts become a standard part of care for children with rare genetic conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur study is about giving healthcare professionals and families the tools they need to understand and support a child\u2019s unique growth journey. Every child deserves care that\u2019s based on the best possible information.\u201d<\/p>\n