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Growth patterns by age and sex in children with sickle cell disease
Insights
Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) show impaired growth in height and weight across all ages, with deficits worsening over time. Boys with SCD experience more severe growth delays than girls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder affecting red blood cells.
- Growth and development can be significantly impacted in children with chronic conditions like SCD.
- Understanding growth patterns is crucial for managing SCD complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze growth patterns by age and sex in a cohort of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease.
- To identify specific growth deficits and trends associated with SCD.
- To investigate the impact of SCD on pubertal growth spurts.
Main Methods:
- Examined serial growth data (height and weight) from 133 children and adolescents with SCD.
- Constructed median height and weight curves stratified by age and sex.
- Analyzed growth trends and velocity curves to identify patterns and deficits.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated significant impairment in height and weight at all ages and in both sexes.
- Observed an increasing growth deficit with advancing age.
- Noted that boys with SCD were more severely affected than girls.
- Illustrated a marked delay in the pubertal growth spurt in adolescents with SCD.
Conclusions:
- Sickle cell disease leads to pervasive growth impairment throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Growth deficits in SCD are progressive and more pronounced in males.
- Delayed pubertal development is a key feature of growth disturbances in SCD, necessitating further clinical attention.
Abstract:
We examined growth patterns by age and sex in 133 children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. These patients are estimated to be representative of the total population aged 1 to 18 years with sickle cell disease in a large metropolitan area. Median height and weight curves constructed from serial growth data available for all 133 children demonstrated impairment in height and weight at all ages and in both sexes. Analysis of growth trends by age reveals a pattern of increasing deficit with increasing age; boys are more severely affected than girls. Growth velocity curves constructed for a series of 13 adolescents with sickle cell disease illustrate the marked delay in the onset of the normal pubertal growth spurt in these patients.