A Bayesian approach to Colombian children’s craniofacial growth curves

Objectives: No studies have been made in Colombia that consider models relating besides the head circumference, other craniofacial anthropometric variables concerning height, width and depth for modelling children's craniofacial growth (CCG) regarding their age. The aim of this study was constructing craniofacial growth patterns for 0 to 4 year-old Colombian children living in Bogotá city, using recently proposed Bayesian models and methods.
Methods: The eligibility criteria for obtaining data in this prospective cross-sectional study followed inclusion and exclusion factors thereby providing a prescriptive sample. The overall and craniofacial variables of 513 Colombian children, 0- to 48-month-old (241 girls, 272 boys) were measured using calibrated anthropometric instruments. Their parents signed written informed consent forms and institutional ethical backing was obtained. Systematic and random error was calculated; exploratory data analysis (EDA) and non-linear Bayesian models were considered for constructing growth curves, through R version 3.15 free statistics software.
Results: The growth behavior of 11 craniofacial variables and 2 overall ones was studied; a specific growth pattern was observed for each variable according to age and gender. A multivariate exploration of children´s craniofacial growth profiles was performed, revealing a heteroscedastic non-linear growth. Growth trajectories were obtained along with their respective Bayesian credibility intervals regarding craniofacial height, width and depth.
Conclusions: Using a Bayesian model for exploring anthropometric data proved useful as it led to characterising each variable chosen by a growth curve. Bayesian formulation (in spite of reflecting parsimony) provided a suitable mechanism for estimating parameters. It represents an innovative methodology providing a structural impact regarding the study of CCG and contributes towards analysing diagnostic processes related to early childhood.