Knowledge
Growth chart and weight curve in children
Children grow differently, and a single weight or BMI measurement rarely tells the whole truth. Therefore, healthcare follows the child's growth chart over time – it is the direction that shows if development is changing.
What is a growth chart?
A growth chart collects a child's measurements of height, weight, and BMI and plots them against age- and gender-adjusted references. For children, BMI is assessed with iso-BMI thresholds, as normal values change during growth.
At BUMM and within school healthcare, children are measured regularly. When the measurements are plotted on the same curve, it becomes possible to detect changes early – often before they are visible on the child.
How healthcare works with the curve
1
Measurement
Height and weight are measured during visits to BVC, within school health services, or during treatment.
2
The curve
The value is entered into the child's growth curve and compared with previous measurements.
3
Assessment
Healthcare assesses the direction over time – not just a single point.
4
Follow-up
If development deviates, follow-up or investigation is initiated.
What does healthcare look for?
The national care programme emphasises that the BMI curve should be assessed longitudinally. It is primarily the change that is of interest:
- the BMI curve rises quickly, even before a threshold has been passed
- the curve changes direction upwards over several measurements
- weight increases while linear growth flattens out
- the child passes thresholds for overweight or obesity
A rapid increase can be clinically relevant even before a certain threshold value has been crossed. It is therefore better to ask “how is the curve developing?” than “what does the child weigh today?”.
Read more about how overweight and obesity are detected in children
How the curve is followed between visits with Evira
For obesity treatment, it is not enough to measure a couple of times a year at the clinic. With Evira, the child weighs themselves at home on a connected measuring plate that does not display weight in kilograms.
Measurements are automatically transferred: the family sees the direction towards the treatment goal in their app, and the treatment team sees each individual data point in BMI SDS throughout the entire treatment period.
When development deviates from the child's own trend, the patient is highlighted in the healthcare provider's view – so that interventions can be made when the curve turns, not months later at the next visit.
Height prediction
Height between visits – how our prediction works
BMI is based on two values: weight and height. Weight can be measured at home every day, while height is measured at the clinic. This is why conventional follow-up of BMI development is tied to clinic visits.
Evira uses an algorithm that predicts the child's height growth between visits, based on the child's own previous growth. The prediction is accurate for up to six months, which allows BMI development to be continuously monitored throughout the period.
This means that weights measured at home can be converted to BMI SDS without the child needing to be measured at the clinic. Check-up visits solely for measurement can therefore be spaced out compared to conventional care. When the child is measured at the clinic, the curve is calibrated against the actual height.
However, fewer measurement visits do not mean fewer healthcare contacts. There is often a need for closer contact to discuss the treatment plan, motivation, and progress – and this contact becomes easier to maintain when measurements are already being taken at home.
Do you want to track your patients' growth curves between visits?
See how Evira can complement your in-person visits with follow-up in everyday life.