[Evaluation of the treatment with clonidine of short stature in children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Growth Hormone Therapy
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Constitutional growth delay (CGD) affects prepubertal children.
• Children with CGD often exhibit normal or elevated growth hormone (GH) levels after stimulation.
• Effective therapeutic options for CGD are continuously sought.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of clonidine in enhancing growth in prepubertal children with CGD.
• To assess the impact of clonidine on growth speed, somatomedin C levels, and height standard deviation (SD) score.
• To explore the potential mechanisms of action and therapeutic indications of clonidine for growth promotion.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 23 prepubertal children (11 boys, 12 girls) with CGD was treated with clonidine at a dosage of 100 micrograms/m2/day for six months.
• All participants demonstrated serum GH levels above 10 ng/ml in response to various stimuli prior to treatment.
• Growth speed, somatomedin C levels, and height SD score were monitored throughout the study period.

Main Results:

• Clonidine treatment led to an increase in growth speed in 87% of the subjects.
• Somatomedin C levels significantly increased in 87% of the participants.
• A decrease in height SD score was observed in 87% of the children, indicating improved growth trajectory.

Conclusions:

• Clonidine at 100 micrograms/m2/day is an effective treatment for enhancing growth in prepubertal children with constitutional growth delay.
• The observed improvements in growth parameters suggest clonidine may stimulate GH secretion or enhance GH action.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms and confirm long-term efficacy and safety for therapeutic use.