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A longitudinal study of growth in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Insights
Children with acute leukemia experienced temporary growth reduction but showed catch-up growth after treatment, indicating stable growth regulation. This study tracked height and weight changes in pediatric leukemia patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Acute leukemia diagnosis impacts childhood growth and development.
- Understanding growth patterns in pediatric leukemia is crucial for monitoring treatment efficacy and long-term outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal effects of acute leukemia on height and weight growth in children.
- To analyze growth rate changes before, during, and after leukemia treatment.
- To assess the potential for catch-up growth following treatment cessation.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of ten children diagnosed with acute leukemia between 18 months and 7 years of age.
- Comparison of attained size and growth rates to a reference group.
- Measurement of height and weight at various time points: pre-diagnosis, during treatment, and post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Children with acute leukemia showed higher attained size one year before diagnosis compared to controls.
- A decrease in growth rate was observed before treatment initiation, suggesting disease-related growth failure.
- Growth rate for height increased during treatment, potentially due to medical interventions.
- A temporary reduction of approximately 4 cm (one standard deviation) in height occurred during treatment.
- Significant catch-up growth was observed in the two years following treatment, with height returning to pre-treatment levels.
Conclusions:
- Acute leukemia can cause temporary growth inhibition, but children demonstrate remarkable catch-up growth potential.
- Growth regulation appears stable between 18 months and 12 years of age, despite leukemia and treatment.
- Growth patterns may differ in children diagnosed during early infancy or the pubertal period.
Abstract:
Growth in terms of both height and weight was studied in a longitudinal sample consisting of ten children who all experienced the onset of acute leukemia between 18 months and 7 years of age. In spite of the lack of deviation in body size at birth, these children had somewhat higher values for attained size than the reference group one year before diagnosis. The information from this study showing a decrease in growth rate before the start of treatment, could suggest that the disease causes the growth failure. Growth rate for height increased with time from the first year of treatment, which could be correlated to a positive effect of medical treatment of the disease. These results indicate a very stable regulation of growth between 18 months and 12 years of age. The children dropped temporarily in mean one standard deviation (SD) corresponding to about 4 cm, from one year before the start of treatment to the end of the three years of treatment. It seems, however, that it is possible for the body to repair such a temporary growth inhibition as is seen in the catch-up growth during the following two years. Height measured in SD for the group two years after discontinuing treatment was practically the same as height at the time of the start of treatment. Children with leukemia during the first years of life and during the pubertal period may not show a similar growth pattern.