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Growth Monitor
  1. Growth Monitor
  2. App alerts

App alerts

1. Comparing the child’s height measurement with children of the same age and sex

When you first use the app to measure your child’s height, GrowthMonitor will automatically plot the measured height on the correct growth chart so you can see where your child lies compared to other children of the same age and gender.

Alerts and messages 

  • If the measurement is not within the expected height range, the app will display a message saying, ‘This measurement is outside the normal range. Please retake the measurement or take a manual measurement’. You should repeat the measurement carefully following the simple steps in the app. This is to check whether the height is really outside the normal range or if there has been a mistake in taking the measurement.

 

 

 

 

  • Green message:

     ‘This measurement is normal. No action is required’ means your child’s height falls within the normal range for his or her age and sex and no further action is required. You will be prompted to repeat the measurement in 6 months as it is important to monitor a child’s growth over time.

 

 



  • Amber messages:

‘Your child falls within the bottom 1.3% for height compared to other children of the same age’ this means that compared with other children of the same age and sex, your child falls within the shortest 1.3% i.e. below the 1.3th percentile on the growth chart. ‘Your child falls within the top 1.3% for height compared to other children of the same age’ this means that compared with other children of the same age and sex, your child falls within the top 1.3% i.e. above the 98.7th percentile on the growth chart.'

In either case, you will be prompted to ‘Retake height measurement in 6 months when prompted’.

Some normal, healthy children can fall within the top or bottom 1.3% so we do NOT recommend you seek medical advice after just one amber alert. However, if you get 2 amber alerts in a row (usually more than 4 months apart) you will get a red alert (see below). You will not get repeat amber alerts if you take measurements less than 4 months apart because it is important to see how your child is growing over a reasonable length of time.

  • Red messages:

‘Your child falls within the bottom 0.25% for height compared to other children of the same age’ this means that compared with other children of the same age and sex, your child falls within the shortest 0.25% i.e. below the 0.25th percentile on the growth chart.

‘Your child falls within the top 0.25% for height compared to other children of the same age’ this means that compared with other children of the same age and sex, your child falls within the top 0.25% i.e. above the 99.75th percentile on the growth chart.

Any red alert will give a recommendation that you ‘Consider asking your GP for advice’. This is so that your child can be checked to make sure there are no underlying problems which may be impacting on their growth.

2. Comparing the child’s height measurement to parent’s heights

GrowthMonitor can compare the child's height measurement to their parent’s heights and see whether it matches the genetic or ‘target’ expectation. The more accurate the entered parent’s heights are, the better the app is at estimating this.

Alerts and messages

  • Green message:

     ‘This measurement is normal. No action is required’ means your child’s height falls within the normal range for their parent’s heights and no further action is required. You will be prompted to repeat the measurement in 6 months as it is still important to monitor a child’s growth over time.

 

 



  • Amber messages:

‘Your child's height measurement is low compared to parent height’ this means that the child’s measurement is lower than expected compared with their parent’s height(s).

‘Your child's height measurement is high compared to parent height’ this means that the child’s measurement is more than expected compared with their parent’s height(s).

In either case, you will be prompted to ‘Retake height measurement in 6 months when prompted’.

Some normal, healthy children can be taller or shorter than expected compared to their parents, so we do NOT recommend you seek medical advice after just one amber alert. However, if you get another amber alert with this one you will get a red alert (see below).

  • Red messages:

‘Your child's height measurement is low compared to parent height’ this means that the child’s measurement is much lower than expected compared with their parent’s height(s).

‘Your child's height measurement is high compared to parent height’ this means that the child’s measurement is much more than expected compared with their parent’s height(s).

Any red alert will give a recommendation that you ‘Consider asking your GP for advice’. This is so that your child can be checked to make sure there are no underlying problems which may be impacting on their growth.

3. Measuring growth over time

Alerts and messages

  • Green message:

     ‘This measurement is normal’ means your child’s height falls within the normal range for their parent’s heights and no further action is required. You will be prompted to repeat the measurement in 6 months as it is still important to monitor a child’s growth over time.

 

 



  • Amber messages:

‘Your child's growth rate is slow compared to children of the same age’ this means that the change in your child’s height is lower than expected over the time period.

‘Your child's growth rate is fast compared to children of the same age’ this means that the change in your child’s height is higher than expected over the time period.

In either case, you will be prompted to ‘Retake height measurement in 6 months when prompted’.

Some normal, healthy children can grow faster or slower than expected for short periods of time, so we do NOT recommend you seek medical advice after just one amber alert. However, if you get another amber alert with this one you will get a red alert (see below).

  • Red messages:

‘Your child's growth rate is slow compared to children of the same age’ this means that the change in your child’s height is much lower than expected over the time period.

‘Your child's growth rate is slow compared to children of the same age’ this means that the change in your child’s height is much higher than expected over the time period.

Any red alert will give a recommendation that you ‘Consider asking your GP for advice’. This is so that your child can be checked to make sure there are no underlying problems which may be impacting on their growth.

 

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