Compendium of Paediatric Auxology

Overview

The compendium of paediatric auxology was the result of project no. 184/1998 GAUK with the objective to extend knowledge of paediatric auxology and improve auxological activities of the professional paediatric community. The authors created within the framework of the grant project a widely applicable base of paediatric auxology comprising those anthropometric variables and selected developmental indicators encountered by paediatricians in their practice. The base of knowledge is conceived as a contribution to a higher diagnostic standard of all diseases and states associated with a growth deviation. Growth deviations in the concept of auxology (auxo = I grow in Greek) are not only alterations of skeletal linear growth (short or tall stature) but also alterations of neural, gonadal and soft tissue growth. The basic outcome of the project is the „Compendium of Paediatric Auxology“ (CPA) where individual parts contain definitions of all basic anthropometric variables and selected developmental indicators, the mode of their examination and assessment, tables of reference values of the given variable for each age and gender group and their percentile graphs. Different parts of the CPA are supplemented by paediatric and clinical comments and digitally processed methodological illustrations. The compendium of paediatric auxology elaborated for paediatricians who are faced in practice with innumerable growth deviations should contribute to their correct and early diagnosis. The application of auxological methods is in paediatric practice important also when checking indicated therapeutic procedures. CPA in two versions („hypertext“ and that for print) is along with the computer programme „Growth 2“ (for graphic and numerical monitoring of growth) available on CD ROM „Compendium of Paediatric Auxology“ which is obtainable free of charge for all paediatricians in the Czech Republic.

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