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"Functional food" for acceleration of growth in short children born small for gestational age

Z Zadik1, T Sinai, A Zung

  • 1The School of Nutritional Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. zvizadik@gmail.com

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|July 29, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Nutritional supplementation with vitamin A, iron, and zinc significantly accelerates growth in short children born small for gestational age (SGA). This effect is comparable to growth hormone therapy, offering a viable alternative for improving growth in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Nutritional science
  • Growth disorders

Background:

  • Children born small for gestational age (SGA) often experience short stature.
  • Suboptimal nutrient intake can exacerbate growth deficiencies in SGA children.
  • Growth hormone (GH) therapy is a common treatment for growth retardation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of nutritional supplementation in enhancing growth in short children born SGA.
  • To compare the growth-promoting effects of nutritional intervention with GH therapy and observation.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty-four short, healthy children born SGA were enrolled.
  • Participants were randomized into three groups: nutritional program (iron, zinc, vitamin A), GH therapy, or observation.
  • Growth parameters, dietary intake, and serum IGF-1 were monitored over six months.

Main Results:

  • Nutritional supplementation resulted in significant growth acceleration (7.9 cm/yr).
  • The growth rate in the nutritional group was comparable to GH therapy (9.1 cm/yr) and significantly higher than the observation group (4.6 cm/yr).
  • P-value < 0.001 indicated statistical significance.

Conclusions:

  • Six months of vitamin A, iron, and zinc supplementation effectively promotes growth in short SGA children with inadequate nutrient intake.
  • Nutritional therapy offers a growth acceleration similar to GH therapy.
  • This study highlights the potential of targeted nutritional interventions for SGA-related growth issues.
Abstract

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