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Growth hormone treatment in short normal children
S Bernasconi1, C Volta, M E Street
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Parma, Italy.
Insights
Growth hormone (GH) therapy for short normal children does not significantly improve final adult height compared to predicted height. Further research is needed to identify factors influencing GH treatment outcomes in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Growth disorders
Background:
- The use of growth hormone (GH) therapy in children with short stature but without classical growth hormone deficiency (GHD) remains controversial.
- Preliminary data from a multicenter study in Italy investigates the efficacy of GH treatment in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of growth hormone therapy in improving final adult height in short normal children.
- To compare final adult height (FAH) with predicted adult height (PAH) in children treated with GH.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from an Italian multicenter study.
- Inclusion of children treated with GH until final adult height was achieved.
- Comparison of FAH with PAH calculated at the initiation of GH therapy.
Main Results:
- Final adult height (FAH) was not significantly different from the predicted adult height (PAH) at the start of treatment.
- Results align with findings from similar international surveys, indicating limited efficacy in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Growth hormone therapy should be reserved for short normal children within well-designed prospective studies.
- Future research should incorporate auxological, clinical, and biochemical parameters to better understand factors influencing GH treatment outcomes.
Abstract:
The efficacy of growth hormone (GH) therapy in short normal children (i.e. children without classical growth hormone deficiency [GHD]) is still under debate. This paper presents the preliminary data of a retrospective Italian multicenter study on children treated with GH until adult height was reached. Final adult height (FAH), however, is not significantly different from the predicted adult height (PAH) calculated at the beginning of treatment. This result is in agreement with those reported in the majority of other similar international surveys. In conclusion, GH should be administered to short normal children only within the framework of well designed prospective experimental studies, which should consider several auxological, clinical and biochemical parameters capable of influencing the therapeutic results.