Endocrine therapy for growth retardation in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Mabrouka A Altowati1, Richard K Russell, S Faisal Ahmed

  • 1Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, University of Glasgow, Yorkhill, Glasgow, G3 8SJ, UK.

Paediatric Drugs
|September 17, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease (CD), often experience growth failure. This review examines evidence for growth impairment in IBD and discusses potential growth-promoting therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Endocrinology
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research

Background:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn's disease (CD), is associated with significant growth impairment in children.
  • Multifactorial causes include poor nutrition, chronic inflammation, and corticosteroid use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current evidence on growth deficits in pediatric IBD patients.
  • To discuss the rationale and evidence for growth-promoting therapies in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on growth in pediatric IBD.
  • Analysis of factors contributing to growth failure.
  • Evaluation of existing data on endocrine and growth-promoting therapies.

Main Results:

  • Children with IBD, including CD, frequently exhibit reduced linear growth and final adult height.
  • Current treatment advances have not fully resolved growth deficits in many pediatric IBD cohorts.
  • Limited evidence currently supports the efficacy of endocrine therapy specifically for improving growth in IBD.

Conclusions:

  • Growth impairment remains a critical concern in pediatric IBD.
  • Further research is needed to establish effective growth-promoting strategies for children with IBD.

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