Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Enhancing the Development and Growth of Infant Cerebral Palsy Rats Using Selective Spinal Manipulations
05:04

Enhancing the Development and Growth of Infant Cerebral Palsy Rats Using Selective Spinal Manipulations

Published on: February 2, 2024

Growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis: a possible non-nutritional factor for growth retardation in

Moustafa A Hegazi1, Othman E Soliman, Bothina M Hasaneen

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. mhegazi712003@yahoo.co.uk

Jornal De Pediatria
|June 22, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) and growth retardation show impaired growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis function, suggesting non-nutritional factors contribute to their poor growth.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Growth and development

Background:

  • Growth retardation is a concern in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  • The role of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis in CP-related growth issues is not fully understood.
  • Distinguishing nutritional from non-nutritional factors is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the GH/IGF-1 axis in children with CP.
  • To assess if the GH/IGF-1 axis is a non-nutritional factor contributing to growth retardation in CP.
  • To compare GH/IGF-1 profiles in children with CP, protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 30 children with CP (divided into normal growth and retarded growth groups), 30 children with PEM, and 30 healthy controls (REF group).
  • Assessment included growth parameters, serum IGF-1, basal GH, and peak GH response after insulin stimulation.
  • Statistical analysis compared these parameters across the study groups.

Main Results:

  • Children with CP and retarded growth (CP-R) had lower IGF-1 levels compared to normal growth CP (CP-N) and REF groups.
  • Both CP-N and CP-R groups showed inadequate GH response to insulin stimulation compared to the REF group.
  • Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) patients exhibited high basal GH and low IGF-1 levels, distinct from CP groups.

Conclusions:

  • Children with CP-R display altered GH/IGF-1 axis function, with IGF-1 levels comparable to PEM but inadequate GH response to stimulation.
  • CP-N children also showed impaired GH response to stimulation, suggesting potential non-nutritional factors affecting growth even without overt retardation.
  • Findings support the contribution of non-nutritional factors to growth retardation in children with CP.
Abstract

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...
Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors01:28

Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Hematopoietic growth factors are molecules that regulate the differentiation rate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Erythropoietin (EPO), primarily produced by the kidneys, plays a crucial role in erythrocyte production. When oxygen levels in the blood are low, EPO is released into the bloodstream, reaching the bone marrow, where it stimulates HSCs to differentiate and mature into erythrocytes, which are vital for oxygen transport.
Thrombopoietin (TPO), mainly released by the liver,...
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Major Hormones and Their Functions01:27

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Hormones, the biochemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, are pivotal in regulating bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis. Each hormone's balance is crucial; imbalances can lead to significant physiological disruptions. Major hormones include oxytocin, cortisol, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, thyroxine, growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon.
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...