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Extremely short stature: influence of each parent's height on clinical-biological features

V Giacobbi1, C Trivin, E Lawson-Body

  • 1Université René-Descartes and Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Fondation-Hôpital Saint-Joseph, Paris, France.

Hormone Research
|December 4, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Parental height significantly impacts idiopathic short stature. Father's height influences final stature in familial short stature (FSS) cases, while mother's height affects birth weight. Both are crucial for growth assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Genetics
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Idiopathic extremely short stature (IESS) is a complex condition with multifactorial origins.
  • Understanding genetic and environmental influences, such as parental height, is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the differential impact of paternal and maternal height on clinical and biological characteristics of children with IESS.
  • To differentiate between familial short stature (FSS) and non-FSS groups based on parental height influence.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 57 children with IESS (height ≤ -3 SD) was analyzed.
  • Patients were categorized into FSS (target height - actual height < 2 SD) and non-FSS (target height - actual height > 2 SD) groups.
  • Statistical analysis correlated parental heights with growth parameters, birth weight, and response to growth hormone (GH) treatment.

Main Results:

  • Children in the FSS group were shorter at birth and after GH treatment compared to the non-FSS group.
  • Paternal height was a significant factor in FSS, with fathers more frequently below -2 SD and their height correlating with the child's stature.
  • Maternal height correlated with birth weight and initial height evaluation in the overall cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal height is confirmed to influence birth weight.
  • Paternal height plays a significant role in determining idiopathic extremely short stature, particularly in familial short stature cases.
  • These findings highlight the distinct contributions of each parent's stature to a child's growth trajectory.
Abstract

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