[Study on growth hormone treatment in small for gestational age children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Endocrinology
• Growth Disorders

Background:

• Children born small for gestational age (SGA) often experience persistent short stature.
• Growth hormone (GH) therapy is a potential treatment for SGA-induced short stature.
• Evaluating GH therapy effectiveness in SGA children without catch-up growth is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effectiveness of GH therapy in short-stature children born SGA without catch-up growth.
• To compare findings with previously published data on GH therapy for SGA children.
• To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of anthropometric data from SGA children in Valencia, Spain (2003-2013).
• Analysis of height standard deviation scores (SDS) before and after 2 and 4 years of GH therapy.
• Comparison of adult height achieved with target height and parental height.

Main Results:

• GH therapy improved height SDS from -3.14 to -2.11 after 2 years and -1.76 after 4 years.
• Only 35% of treated children reached adult height, with most remaining impaired (-2.22 SDS).
• Few children achieved target height, though some approached parental height, with 42.9% showing >1 SDS increase.

Conclusions:

• The studied GH therapy regimen did not yield satisfactory growth results in SGA children without catch-up growth.
• Earlier initiation of GH therapy may enhance treatment efficacy.
• Individualized GH dosing based on patient characteristics could improve outcomes.