Growth and childhood asthma.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Pulmonology
• Growth and Development

Background:

• Chronic perennial asthma affects children's growth and development.
• Understanding asthma's impact on pubertal timing is crucial for pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term effects of chronic perennial asthma on children's growth and pubertal development.
• To determine if asthma or its treatment influences growth velocity and final adult height.

Main Methods:

• Prospective longitudinal study of 66 children with chronic perennial asthma over a mean of 13.1 years.
• Regular measurements of height and weight every six months.
• Assessment of pubertal development, including onset and progression.

Main Results:

• No evidence of growth retardation at study entry; growth followed normal patterns until approximately age 10.
• A significant tendency for delayed puberty onset was observed in both boys and girls, independent of asthma severity.
• Complete catch-up growth occurred after puberty onset, leading to attainment of predicted adult height.
• Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate did not affect growth in children treated before and during puberty.

Conclusions:

• Asthma is associated with a delay in the onset of puberty, not direct growth retardation.
• The pre-adolescent deceleration in growth velocity in asthmatic children can mimic growth retardation.
• Asthma management, including inhaled corticosteroids, does not appear to impede overall growth or final height attainment.