Creating useful growth curves from small sample sizes

Ideally, growth charts are based on measurements of many individuals who are representative of the target population. However, acquiring the required quantity and quality of data faces both logistical and financial restrictions. In a new article published earlier this year, Hennenberg and Żądzińska describe a method to produce growth curves based on a limited sample size, but advise caution in their application. Small population sizes are a common occurrence in the construction of growth references for the subpopulations typical for the genetic conditions managed in specialist/tertiary growth clinics. GrowthXP includes a wide range of references for such conditions to give clinicians the option to chart individual patients against the most appropriate curves available in the literature. 

Reference: Henneberg M, Żądzińska E (2022) Auxology of small samples: A method to describe child growth when restrictions prevent surveys. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0269420. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269420