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Birth weight influences the initial response to growth hormone treatment in growth hormone-insufficient children

J C Achermann1, K Hamdani, P C Hindmarsh

  • 1London Centre for Paediatric Endocrinology, Middlesex Hospital, London, England.

Pediatrics
|August 1, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Birth weight impacts growth hormone (GH) treatment response in children with GH insufficiency. Lower birth weight standard deviation scores correlate with better initial height velocity response to GH therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Growth Hormone Therapy
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Isolated growth hormone (GH) insufficiency affects childhood growth.
  • Understanding factors influencing GH treatment response is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
  • Birth weight is a potential, yet understudied, determinant of GH therapy efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between birth weight and the initial response to GH replacement therapy in children with isolated GH insufficiency.
  • To identify birth weight as a predictor of height velocity changes during the first year of GH treatment.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 16 prepubertal children with isolated GH insufficiency.
  • Assessed height velocity standard deviation scores before and after GH treatment.
  • Utilized regression analysis to evaluate the influence of birth weight standard deviation score (BWSDS) and other variables on GH treatment response.

Main Results:

  • A positive correlation was observed between birth weight standard deviation score (BWSDS) and the change in height velocity standard deviation score (r = 0.64).
  • Higher BWSDS was associated with a greater increase in height velocity.
  • Stepwise linear regression confirmed BWSDS as a significant influencer of GH treatment response.

Conclusions:

  • Birth weight is a significant factor influencing the initial response to GH treatment in children with GH insufficiency.
  • This influence may suggest variations in the growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor axis sensitivity.
  • Further research is needed to determine the long-term effects on final height and optimal GH dosing strategies.
Abstract

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