Height predictions by Bayley-Pinneau method may misguide pediatric endocrinologists

Abstract

Height prediction (HP) methods have been utilized for many years, but the accuracy of these methods has been questioned. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of Bayley-Pinneau (BP) method for height prediction. We calculated the predicted height of children based on the standard height for each major percentile for boys and girls for average, accelerated, and retarded bone age (BA). We compared these results with the projected adult height assuming BA as chronological age (CA).

HP by Bayley-Pinneau method highly overestimates adult height when compared to the projected adult height in children with average BA and more so with accelerated BA. There seems to be a clear underestimation for children with retarded BA. BP method leads to overestimation for accelerated and underestimation for retarded BA and is frequently discordant with the projected height on the growth chart.