Growth of asthmatic children before long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids

The aim of this study was to examine the growth of asthmatic children before any long-term inhaled corticosteroid treatment. We studied 436 asthmatic children (254 boys and 182 girls), age range 3.9-15.4 years, that had not been treated with long-term inhaled corticosteroids. In each child height and weight were measured, and the height standard deviation score (HSDS) and the weight for height ratio (%WFH) were calculated. We also estimated asthma severity and tested atopic status by skin testing. Children were grouped into three age groups: prepuberty (3.9-7.9 years), peripuberty (8-11.9 years), and puberty (12-15.5 years). HSDS was correlated to asthma severity and duration, atopic status, and other coexisting allergic diseases. Seven hundred ten healthy children (345 boys, 365 girls) ages 4.1-15.5 years were used as controls for height and weight. There was no statistically significant difference in HSDS and %WFH between patients and controls, except for HSDS of pubertal female patients that was significantly less than that of controls, x: 0.06 (0.80) vs. x: 0.40 (0.90), respectively, p < 0.02. There was also no significant correlation between HSDS or %WFH and severity or duration of the disease, allergy status and other coexisting allergic diseases. However, there was significant difference in menarcheal age between asthmatic girls x: 12.49 (0.12) and controls x: 12.00 (0.10), p < 0.001. In conclusion, our data show that the growth of asthmatic children before any long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is not different from the control population, except for the asthmatic girls of pubertal age who are shorter than control girls probably because of delay in pubertal maturation.