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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Growth hormone treatment and fat redistribution in children born small for gestational age

Jean De Schepper1, Muriel Thomas, Dominique Beckers

  • 1Belgian Study Group for Pediatric Endocrinology and the Departments of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Brussel, Mont Godinne, Gent, Louvain, Leuven, Belgium.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

High-dose growth hormone (GH) treatment in children born small for gestational age (SGA) promotes catch-up growth and lean mass gain. This treatment also leads to a less adipose body composition and a more central fat distribution.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Growth Disorders

Background:

  • Children born small for gestational age (SGA) often experience growth deficits.
  • Growth hormone (GH) therapy is used to address growth issues in children.
  • The impact of high-dose GH on body composition and fat distribution in SGA children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of high-dose GH treatment on growth, lean mass, and fat distribution in children born SGA.
  • To determine if GH treatment influences central fat distribution in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 25 short children born SGA.
  • Participants were assigned to either untreated or high-dose GH treatment (66 mug/Kg/d) for two years.
  • Growth status and body composition were assessed annually using anthropometry and absorptiometry.

Main Results:

  • GH-treated children showed significantly greater increases in height and weight compared to untreated children.
  • GH treatment resulted in a less adipose body composition.
  • A notable finding was a more centripetal distribution of fat mass in the GH-treated group.

Conclusions:

  • High-dose GH treatment effectively promotes catch-up growth and improves body composition in children born SGA.
  • The therapy is associated with a shift towards more central fat distribution.
  • These findings highlight the comprehensive effects of GH on body composition in SGA children.
Abstract

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