This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Seattle, USA. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12126/abstract

15th May 2014 • 0 comments

This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Oxford, UK. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12033/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Muscat, Oman. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12043/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Nairobi, Kenya. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12045/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Turin, Italy. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12124/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Nagpur, India. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12058/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Beijing, China. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12044/abstract

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This paper describes the implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Pelotas, Brazil. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12046/abstract

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The INTERGROWTH-21st Project presented a complex set of ethical challenges given the involvement of health institutions in geographically and culturally diverse areas of the world, with differing attitudes to pregnancy. This paper addresses how the research team dealt with some of those issues. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12030/abstract

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This paper considers the statistical aspects of the three components of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project - the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study, the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study, and the Newborn Corss-Sectional Study - as they relate to the construction of the INTERGROWTH-21st standards, in particular, the sample size. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12031/abstract

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The INTERGROWTH-21st Project data management was structured incorporating both a centralise and decentralised system for the eight study centres, which all used the same database and standardised data collection instruments, manual and processes. This paper describes the data collection, entry and management processes that ensure that the data collected in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project were of exceptionally high quality. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12080/abstract

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Given the multicentre nature of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project and the expected number of preterm births, it is vital that all centres follow the same standardised clinical care protocols to assess and manage preterm infants, so as to ensure maximum validity of the resulting standards as indicators of growth and nutrition with minimal confounding. Moreover, it is well known that evidence-based clinical practice guidelines can reduce the delivery of inappropriate care and support the introduction of new knowledge into clinical practice. The INTERGROWTH-21st Neonatal Group produced an operations manual, which reflects the consensus reached by members of the group regarding standardised definitions of neonatal morbidities and the minimum standards of care to be provided by all centres taking part in the project. This paper describes the process of developing the Basic Neonatal Care Manual, as well as the morbidity definitions and standardised neonatal care protocols applied across all the INTERGROWTH-21st participating centres. Thoughts about implementation strategies are presented. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12312/abstract

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The INTERGROWTH-21st Project involved taking anthropometric measurements, including head circumference, recumbent length and weight of infants, and the stature and weight of parents. In a large, international, multicentre project, it is critical that all study sites follow standardised protocols to ensure maximal validity of the growth and nutrition indicators used. This paper describes, in detal, the anthropometric training, standardisation and quality control procedures used to collect data for these new standards. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12127/abstract

15th May 2014 • 0 comments

The INTERGROWTH-21st Project involved taking anthropometric measurements, including head circumference, recumbent length and weight of infants, and the stature and weight of parents. In a large, international, multicentre project, it is critical that all study sites follow standardised protocols to ensure maximal validity of the growth and nutrition indicators used. This paper describes, in detal, the selection of anthropometric personnel, equipment, measurement and calibration protocols used to construct the new INTERGROWTH-21st standards. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12125/abstract

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Correct estimation of gestational age is essential for any study of ultrasound biometry and for everyday clinical practice. However, inconsistency in pregnancy dating may occur through differences in measurement methods or errors during measurement. This paper describes the standardised crown-rump length (CRL) measurement methodology and interpretation used across study sites in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project. These methods should minimise potential systematic errors in dating associated with pooling data drom different health institutions, and represent a model for standardising CRL measurement in future studies. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12056/abstract

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Meticulous standardisation and ongoing monitoring of adherence to measurement protocols during data collection are essential to ensure consistency and to minimise systematic error in multicentre studies. Strict ultrasound fetal biometric measurement protocols are used in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project so that data of the highest quality from different centres can be compared and potentially pooled. A central Ultrasound Quality Unit (USQU) has been set up to oversee this standardisation, training and quality control process. This paper describes the procedures used, which can form a model for research settings involving ultrasound measurements.

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A unified protocol is essential to ensure that fetal ultrasound measurements taken in multicentre research studies are accurate and reproducible. This paper describes the methodology used to take two-dimensional, ultrasound measurements in the longitudinal, fetal growth component of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project. These standardised methods should minimise the systematic errors associated with pooling data from different sites. They represent a model for carrying out similar research studies in the future. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12313/abstract

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This paper outlines the objectives, design and implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project, a multicentre, multiethnic, population-based project conducted in eight geographical areas (Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, UK and USA), with technical support from four global specialised units, to study growth, health and nutrition from pregnancy to early infancy. It aims to produce prescriptive growth standards, which conceptually extend the World Health Organization (WHO) Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) to cover fetal and newborn life. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12047/abstract

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Healthy growth in utero and after birth is fundamental for lifelong health and wellbeing. Current fetal growth charts in use are not true standards, since they are based on cross-sectional measurements of attained size under conditions that do not accurately reflect normal growth. The development of prescriptive intrauterine and newborn growth standards derived from the INTERGROWTH-21st Project provides the data that will allow us for the first time to establish what 'normal' fetal growth is. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12057/abstract

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Zulfiqar Bhutta, Chair of the INTERGROWTH-21st Steering Committee, introduces the rationale for the INTERGROWTH-21st Project. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12032/abstract

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