Normal growth in the short normal prepubertal child: the Wessex Growth Study

1998 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
L D Voss ◽  
J Mulligan

Objective The study aimed at defining the normal rate of growth for short, prepubertal children, and comparing their pattern of growth with those of average stature. Setting Community based. Design Observation of an unselected population of 109 very short, normal prepubertal children (<3rd height centile) and 107 controls matched for age and sex (10th to 90th centile). Main outcome measuresHeight, velocity, change in height standard deviation score, from 6 to 9 years of age. Results The absolute mean rate of growth was significantly different between groups—short normal 5.3 cm/year, controls 5.9 cm/year—corresponding to velocities on the 25th and 50th centiles, respectively. The relative growth rates, however, as shown by the changes in height standard deviation score (short normal 0.10 (SD 0.22), controls 0.10 (SD 0.24) did not differ, and each group remained close to its original 3rd and 50th centiles. Two short children showed “catch up” growth after adoption, but, otherwise, the divergence from their original height centile was the same for short normal and control children. No social or biological factors were found to predict growth rate in the short normal children, and only target height in controls. “Normal” velocity is conditional on height. Short normal children do grow more slowly than children of average stature, but they do not necessarily grow more poorly. From 6 to 9 years of age they are no more likely to fall off their height centiles than children of average stature. The value of height monitoring at this age is questioned.

1979 ◽  
Vol 41 (02) ◽  
pp. 286-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Bem ◽  
M J Painter ◽  
A Aronstam ◽  
J H Patrick ◽  
R E Newcombe

SummaryThe relation between the height of adolescent haemophiliacs and their bleeding frequency has been studied. 45 haemophiliacs aged 10-19 years were divided into 3 groups: small, medium and tall, using a Height Standard Deviation Score. The average bleeding frequency per 100 days in the group of small haemophiliacs was 8.71 ± SD 4.47, in the medium height group 10.18 ± SD 6.71, while the tall individuals bled in average 15.97 ± SD 3.15 every 100 days. There was no relationship between age and bleeding frequency.


1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
E White ◽  
A Wilson ◽  
S A Greene ◽  
W Berry ◽  
C McCowan ◽  
...  

Objectives — To assess the effect of urban deprivation on childhood growth in a modern British society by analysing data from a regional growth survey, the Tayside growth study. Setting — The Tayside Region in Scotland, which has three districts with distinct socioeconomic status: Dundee (D, urban city), Angus (A, rural), and Perth (P, rural and county town). Subjects and methods — Height and weight of 23 046 children (>90% of the regional childhood population) were measured as part of a child health surveillance programme, by community health care workers at 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 14 years. Height standard deviation score (calculated against Tanner) and body mass index (BMI-weight (kg)/height (m)2) were calculated for each child by a central computer program; mean height standard deviation score and BMI standard deviation score were calculated for each measuring centre (school, health clinic). A deprivation score for each centre was calculated from the prevalence of single parent families; families with more than three children; unemployment rate; the number of social class V individuals; the percentage of council houses. Results — Mean height standard deviation score for Tayside was 0·11. An intra-regional difference was demonstrated: mean height standard deviation score (SD) D = 0·04 (1·0); A = 0·14 (1·1); P = 0·21 (1·1); P<0·002. There was a positive association between short stature and increasing social deprivation seen throughout Tayside (P<0·05), with a strong association in Dundee primary school children (r = 0·6; P<0·001). Analysis by district showed that the association was significant only above the age of 8 (P<0·004). There was no relation between BMI and social deprivation. Conclusions — In an industrialised developed society, urban deprivation appears to influence height mostly in late childhood, and this association should be taken into consideration in the clinical management of short stature. Height seems to be a better physical indicator of urban deprivation, and hence an index of childhood health, than BMI.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Song ◽  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Shuang Liang ◽  
Guimei Li ◽  
Jiang Xue

The aim of treatment for idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) is to increase final adult stature, for which gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) is the gold standard. Early puberty is frequently similar to ICPP, with pubertal onset only slightly advanced. Short stature may result from early pubertal onset. Some studies have suggested that recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) should be combined with a GnRHa to improve adult height, while others have not. Here, the aim was to compare the efficacy of combined GnRHa and rhGH treatment with GnRHa or rhGH treatment alone, or no therapy, for the improvement of the final height of girls with ICPP or early puberty. Electronic databases of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials, in which the efficacy of GnRHa preparations was compared with that of rhGH for the treatment of children with precocious or early puberty, were searched and a meta-analysis conducted. Five studies of early puberty and four studies of ICPP were identified. There were no statistically significant differences between final adult height standard deviation score and initial height standard deviation score in the treatment of early puberty (GnRHa and rhGH versus rhGH alone or no treatment). The overall analysis of the data failed to indicate any benefit of combined therapy, while individual reports suggested that in specific instances combined therapy may be beneficial in preserving or reclaiming growth potential and improving adult height.


Author(s):  
Louise Jayne Apperley ◽  
Renuka Ramakrishnan ◽  
Poonam Dharmaraj ◽  
Urmi Das ◽  
Mohammed Didi ◽  
...  

Background: Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant condition with an incidence of 1:1000 to 1:2500. The disorder is associated with distinct dysmorphic features, cardiac anomalies, developmental delay and delayed puberty. Short stature is a recognised feature of Noonan syndrome. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the effect of growth hormone treatment in patients with Noonan syndrome. Methods: Retrospective data was collected from patients with Noonan syndrome treated with growth hormone. The results were analysed with variables expressed as mean values and standard deviation scores. Results: Twelve Noonan syndrome patients (M: F = 10:2) treated with growth hormone were identified. The mean age of starting growth hormone was 8 years, with baseline height standard deviation score of -2.96 (range: -1.64 to -5.54). The height standard deviation score significantly improved to -2.50 (P = 0.0035) and then -2.22 (P = 0.0025), following one and two years of treatment, respectively. The average height velocity for the patients prior to starting treatment was 5.16cm/year (range: 2.4 - 8.2 cm/year), which significantly improved to 7.76cm/year (ranging from 4.1 to 12.8 cm/year) after one year of growth hormone treatment (P = 0.020) and to 6.51cm/year at the end of two years. Conclusions: Our study has shown that growth hormone treatment significantly improves the height standard deviation score of patients with Noonan syndrome over a two-year course of growth hormone therapy without any side effects. Further research is required to analyse the long-term effect of growth hormone therapy in patients with Noonan syndrome, including the impact on final adult height.


Author(s):  
Wilfried Pott ◽  
Georg Fröhlich ◽  
Özgür Albayrak ◽  
Johannes Hebebrand ◽  
Ursula Pauli-Pott

Fragestellung: Es wurde der Frage nachgegangen, ob sich erfolgreiche Teilnehmer eines ambulanten familienzentrierten Gewichtskontrollprogramms durch spezifische familiäre und psychologische Charakteristiken auszeichnen. Einbezogen wurden die psychosoziale Risikobelastung der Familie, Depressivität und Bindungsstil der Hauptbezugsperson, der Body mass index (BMI) und der BMI-Standardabweichungswert («Standard deviation score», SDS) des teilnehmenden Kindes und der Familienmitglieder sowie die individuelle psychische Belastung des teilnehmenden Kindes. Methodik: Die Daten wurden per Interview und Fragebogen vor dem Behandlungsbeginn erhoben. Von 136 in das Programm aufgenommenen übergewichtigen und adipösen Kindern zwischen 7 und 15 Jahren beendeten 116 das 12-monatige Interventionsprogramm. Von diesen zeigten 100 (85,3 %) eine Reduktion des BMI-SDS und 79 (68.1 %) eine mehr als 5 %ige Reduktion des BMI-SDS. Diese «erfolgreichen» Kinder wurden mit 56 «nicht erfolgreichen» (Abbrecher und Kinder mit einer 5 %igen oder geringeren Reduktion des BMI-SDS) verglichen. Ergebnisse: Nicht erfolgreiche Kinder unterschieden sich von den erfolgreichen durch ein höheres Alter, eine höhere psychosoziale Risikobelastung, Depressivität und einen vermeidenden Bindungsstil der Mutter sowie durch das Vorhandensein adipöser Geschwister. In einer logistischen Regressionsanalyse zeigten sich mütterliche Depressivität und das Vorhandensein adipöser Geschwister als beste und voneinander unabhängige Prädiktoren. Schlussfolgerungen: Um die spezifischen Bedürfnisse der Familien zu erfüllen und einen Misserfolg zu verhindern, sollten zusätzliche Programmbausteine zur spezifischen Unterstützung von Jugendlichen mit adipösen Geschwistern und Müttern mit Depressionen und vermeidenden Bindungsstil entwickelt werden. Die Wirksamkeit dieser Module muss dann in weiteren Studien überprüft werden.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-481
Author(s):  
Mouin G. Seikaly ◽  
Richard H. Browne ◽  
Michel Baum

Background. X-linked hypophosphatemia is the most common inherited cause of rickets. Current therapy for this disorder includes vitamin D and phosphate supplementation; however, phosphate therapy has been associated with nephrocalcinosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of oral phosphate therapy on growth in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia treated with either calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol (vitamin D). Methods. We retrospectively evaluated the prepubertal growth of 36 children with X-linked hypophosphatemia. The height standard deviation score (Z-score) of patients initially treated with vitamin D alone and the Z-scores of patients treated with vitamin D and phosphate therapy were compared. In addition, the growth of patients treated with vitamin D was compared with that of patients treated with vitamin D and phosphate from the outset of therapy. Results. Patients treated with vitamin D alone for 5.36 ± 2.18 years had an improvement in Z-score from -3.18 ± 1.10 to -2.49 ± 0.66 SDS, ,P &lt; .05. Adding phosphate therapy for patients initially treated with vitamin D alone for 4.83 ± 2.99 years did not further improve Z-score (-2.49 ±0.66 vs -2.35 ± 0.83). Initial therapy with vitamin D and phosphate for 4.33 ± 2.19 years also improved Z-score, (-2.84 ± 1.02 vs -1.98 ± 0.82, P &lt; .05). The change in Z-score was similar to the group treated with vitamin D alone compared with the group treated initially with vitamin D and phosphate (0.65 ± 0.54 vs 0.85 ± 0.65, respectively). Conclusion. These data demonstrate that both vitamin D alone and in combination with phosphate improved linear growth. Adding oral phosphate for children initially treated with vitamin D alone did not improve Z-score. Initial therapy with vitamin D and vitamin D plus phosphate produced similar changes in linear growth.


1989 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itsuro Hibi ◽  
Toshiaki Tanaka ◽  
_ _

Abstract. One hundred and 8 patients with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency with spontaneous pubertal maturation (group A), were followed until they reached their final height after hGH treatment lasting between 2 and 11.1 (average 5.5) years. Their standard deviation scores of final height averaged 3.3 sd below the population mean, which was significantly lower than 1.1 standard deviation below the mean in 29 GH deficient patients without spontaneous puberty (group B) who were treated with hGH and sex hormones. The presence of gonadal function was found to be unbeneficial for final height. The final height of the patients in both groups was not related to either 1) age at the start of hGH treatment, 2) age at the onset of puberty, or 3) the duration of hGH treatment. It was, however, significantly related to the standard deviation score of height at the start of hGH treatment in both groups and to that of height at the onset of puberty in group A. The findings demonstrated that earlier introduction of hGH treatment resulted in earlier onset of puberty in group A, because the chronological age at the onset of puberty was positively correlated to the chronological age at the start of hGH treatment. It was also confirmed that the later puberty began, the taller the final height in GH deficient patients who had the same degree of standard deviation score of height for chronological age before puberty.


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 537-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Ciotti ◽  
Ralf Holzer ◽  
Marco Pozzi ◽  
Mark Dalzell

Adequate nutrition is crucial to the management of children and infants with cardiac disease. Difficulties with feeding are extremely common, and maintaining an adequate caloric intake, in order to achieve sustained growth, is often not possible without nutritional support. We retrospectively reviewed our experience between 1995 and 1999 in treating 37 children with cardiac disease who underwent percutaneous endoscopic construction of a gastrostomy to augment nutritional needs. We stratified the patients into those with cyanotic heart disease, when saturations of oxygen were less than 95%; those with non-cyanotic heart disease with saturations greater than 95%, and those with minor cardiac disease associated with a systemic disorder. Each group was compared to control children matched for age, sex, and diagnosis. We evaluated the variation in standard deviation score for body weight over a median period of follow-up of 295 days. Improvements in the standard deviation score for body weight occurred in each of the groups, whereas children in the control groups demonstrated a decrease in standard deviation score for body weight. The median change of the score for body weight was significantly higher in patients managed with gastrostomy compared to controls. We conclude that supplementation using a gastrostomy tube allows the safe delivery of the caloric intake needed to support malnourished children with cardiac disease.


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