The Effect of Long-term Steroid Therapy on Linear Growth of Nephrotic Children

Steroids are still the mainstay of management of nephrotic syndrome (NS). It was shown that steroids could impair growth and development of children. However, other clinical studies have shown conflicting results.

Hospital records of 147 children with diagnosis of NS who were followed during 1988-2008 are reviewed relating to height measurements. All patients were treated with prednisolone and had been followed for at least five years. Height measures were transformed into standard deviation score (SDS). Information on dose and duration of prednisolone therapy, histological findings of biopsy as well as concomitant use of steroid-sparing agents (SSA) were also analyzed.

Mean age at onset of NS was 5.94 years and at last follow-up visit 15.08 years. All patients had normal renal function during entire duration of the study. Analysis of the whole population did not show any significant alterations in the height SDS (Ht(SDS)) between the first and the last follow-up visit (P=0.5; -0.76±2.0 vs. -0.89±2.05 respectively). The patients were divided into two subgroups. Subgroup A, which achieved growth improvement, was composed of 62 children (initial Ht(SDS) -1.63; final Ht(SDS) -0.08; P<0.001) and subgroup B, that showed growth retardation, included 85 children (initial Ht(SDS) -0.13; final Ht(SDS) -1.59; P<0.001).

No statistically significant retardation of linear growth was observed in the study population as a group following treatment with prednisolone according to the guidelines of ISKDC. Although about 62 subjects had growth retardation, children treated with prednisolone were not different from those who had increased growth.