Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 9, 2026

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis
06:19

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis

Published on: January 7, 2018

Sensitivity to IGF-I in short children born small for gestational age

M B Ranke1

  • 1Section Pediatric Endocrinology, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany. michael.ranke@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
|April 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Growth hormone (GH) treatment is crucial for small for gestational age (SGA) children who don't catch up in growth. However, SGA patients require higher GH doses due to impaired hormone sensitivity, necessitating further research into tailored therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Growth Disorders

Background:

  • Approximately 5% of newborns are small for gestational age (SGA), with 10-15% failing to achieve normal growth by age two.
  • Environmental factors and genetic mutations can disrupt the growth hormone-IGF-IGFBP axis, impacting fetal development and hormone sensitivity.
  • Children born SGA often exhibit impaired sensitivity to hormones within the GH-IGF-IGFBP axis, complicating treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the significance and challenges of growth hormone (GH) therapy in children born small for gestational age (SGA).
  • To explore the underlying reasons for altered hormone sensitivity in SGA children and its impact on growth response.
  • To highlight the need for improved diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for SGA growth failure.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing research on GH treatment efficacy in SGA children.
  • It examines the role of the GH-IGF-IGFBP axis and hormone sensitivity in growth outcomes.
  • The review discusses current therapeutic approaches and limitations.

Main Results:

  • Children born SGA require higher GH doses than GH-deficient (GHD) patients for comparable growth responses.
  • Impaired sensitivity to GH, IGF-I, and IGFBPs is a key factor contributing to therapeutic difficulties in SGA.
  • Variability in hormone sensitivity patterns makes classifying SGA patients based on hormone levels challenging.

Conclusions:

  • GH treatment is important for SGA children, but higher doses are necessary due to impaired hormone sensitivity.
  • Developing simple laboratory tests to quantify sensitivity within the GH-IGF-IGFBP axis is crucial.
  • Future therapies targeting IGF-I insensitivity could improve height gain and address associated co-morbidities in SGA children.

More Related Videos

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation07:39

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation

Published on: April 14, 2023

Generation of the Early-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation Mouse Model to Assess Prenatal Inflammation on Neurodevelopment08:53

Generation of the Early-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation Mouse Model to Assess Prenatal Inflammation on Neurodevelopment

Published on: March 24, 2026

Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...