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Hormonal status of short children born small for gestational age
M Boguszewski1, R Bjarnason, C Jansson
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Insights
Children born small for gestational age (SGA) lacking catch-up growth show reduced growth hormone (GH) secretion. This hormonal imbalance, including abnormal GH patterns and lower insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), may hinder growth.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Growth and Development
- Hormonal Regulation
Background:
- Small for gestational age (SGA) is associated with various health concerns.
- Postnatal catch-up growth is crucial for optimal development in SGA infants.
- Some SGA children fail to achieve catch-up growth, necessitating further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hormonal status in prepubertal children born SGA without catch-up growth.
- To identify potential endocrine factors contributing to the lack of growth in this subgroup.
- To compare hormonal profiles with healthy children of appropriate gestational age.
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of hormonal status in prepubertal children born SGA.
- Assessment of growth hormone (GH) secretion patterns.
- Measurement of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels.
Main Results:
- Reduced rate of GH secretion was observed in SGA children without catch-up growth.
- Abnormal GH secretion patterns (low amplitude peaks, increased baseline) were noted, especially in younger children.
- Lower levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were found in short SGA children compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Impaired GH secretion and lower IGF-I/IGFBP-3 levels may contribute to the lack of catch-up growth in SGA children.
- These hormonal findings offer insights into the pathophysiology of growth failure in SGA.
- Further research into GH-based therapies for SGA children is warranted.
Abstract:
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hormonal status in a subgroup of prepubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA) who lacked postnatal catch-up growth. In this subgroup, a reduced rate of growth hormone (GH) secretion was found, compared with reference groups of healthy children born appropriate for gestational age, of either normal or short stature at the time of investigation. In addition, an abnormal pattern of GH secretion was observed in short children born SGA, which was most pronounced in the younger children, and involved an increased frequency of GH peaks of low amplitude, combined with increased baseline secretion. Levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 were also reduced in short children born SGA, compared with the reference groups. These findings may explain, in part, the lack of postnatal catch-up growth in short children born SGA.