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Short Children (short + child)
Selected AbstractsGrowth hormone in short children: medically appropriate treatmentACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2001R Macklin Bolt and Mul argue persuasively against the "disease" approach and the "client" approach in addressing the question of whether growth hormone for short children properly belongs in the medical realm. Their own preferred approach, the "suffering" approach, is superior to the others but has practical problems that would arise in its application. An additional ethical issue, not addressed by Bolt and Mul, relates to justice in providing access for children from families of limited financial means to growth hormone treatment. [source] Growth hormone in short children: beyond medicine?ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2001LLE Bolt The indications for growth hormone (GH) treatment in non-GH-deficient short children are in debate, with some arguing that this treatment does not belong solely in the medical domain. We describe three different approaches to the issue, and argue that neither a disease-oriented nor client-oriented approach is sufficient. Both lead to withdrawal of medical interventions or to an undesirable application. Conclusion: An approach focusing on suffering as an indication for treatment of short stature is the most appropriate. The challenge is to develop proper tools by which to evaluate suffering and the efficacy of GH treatment in these children in order to relieve or prevent suffering. [source] Increased melatonin concentrations in children with growth hormone deficiencyJOURNAL OF PINEAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007Michal Karasek Abstract:, A relationship between melatonin and growth hormone (GH) is poorly understood. We compare circadian melatonin rhythms in short children with normal and decreased GH secretion. The analysis included 22 children (20 boys and 2 girls) aged 11.1,16.9 yr (mean ± S.E.M. = 14.1 ± 0.3 yr) with short stature (height SDS below ,2.0). Based on the GH peak in stimulation tests patients were divided into two groups: idiopathic short stature (ISS, n = 11; GH peak , 10 ng/mL) and GH deficiency (GHD, n = 11; GH peak < 10 ng/mL). In all patients the circadian melatonin rhythm was assessed on the basis of nine blood samples, collected in 4-hr intervals during the daytime and 2-hr intervals at night, with dark period lasting from 22:00 to 06:00 hr. Magnetic resonance imaging examination excluded organic abnormalities in central nervous system in all patients. Melatonin concentration at 24:00, 02:00 and 04:00 hr as well as the area under curve of melatonin concentrations (AUC) were significantly higher in the patients with GHD than in individuals with ISS. Significant correlations between GH secretion and melatonin concentrations at 24:00, 02:00 and 04:00 hr, and AUC were also observed. On the basis of these data it seems that the assessment of nocturnal melatonin secretion might be a valuable diagnostic tool used for the improvement of the difficult diagnosis of short stature in children. [source] Original Article: Clinical management of short children with low serum immunoglobulin but no immunodeficiency featuresPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2010Cristina Meazza Abstract Background:, In children of different ages investigated for failure to thrive, low (below the cut-off for age) immunoglobulin (Ig) values can be detected, without any clinical evidence of humoral immunodeficiencies. To better characterize infants presenting with diminished immunoglobulin levels, we studied IgG subclasses, in vitro Ig production and B cell subpopulation. Methods:, We monitored 17 children (12 boys and five girls, age range 1,18 years) with low serum levels of one or more Ig isotypes but without any clinical or laboratory features of immunodeficiency. Results:, Low IgM levels were frequent (52.9%). During the follow up, six of 17 cases (35.3%) normalized their immunoglobulin levels. Frequently, in the observed patients, low levels of immunoglobulins were not limited to the period of infancy. In all patients, in vitro Ig production and B lymphocyte subpopulations were within normal ranges. Conclusions:, We suggest a quantification of serum Ig levels in children who fail to thrive in order to identify patients with low Ig levels. These children should be monitored until Ig levels normalize to exclude any immunodeficiency status. Early recognition of children with persistent hypogammaglobulinemia would allow prompt and appropriate clinical interventions. [source] Growth hormone therapy,established uses in short childrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2006W. Frederick Schwenk II Abstract Since the first reported efficacious use of human growth hormone in 1958, numerous children have been treated with this hormone. This review discusses the five indications for use of human growth hormone in children that have been approved to date by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Conclusion: Further, long-term studies will be needed to address the optimal use of this hormone in each of these conditions. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Metabolic outcome of GH treatment in prepubertal short children with and without classical GH deficiencyCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Ralph Decker Summary Context, Few studies have evaluated the metabolic outcomes of growth hormone (GH) treatment in idiopathic short stature (ISS). Moreover, children with ISS appear to need higher GH doses than children with GH deficiency (GHD) to achieve the same amount of growth and may therefore be at increased risk of adverse events during treatment. The individualized approach using prediction models for estimation of GH responsiveness, on the other hand, has the advantage of narrowing the range of growth response, avoiding too low or high GH doses. Design, Short prepubertal children with either isolated GHD (39) or ISS (89) participated in a 2-year randomized trial of either individualized GH treatment with six different GH doses (range, 17,100 ,g/kg/day) or a standard dose (43 ,g/kg/day). Objective, To evaluate if individualized GH treatment reduced the variance of the metabolic measures as shown for growth response and to compare changes in metabolic variables in children with ISS and GHD. Hypothesis, Individualized GH dose reduces the range of metabolic outcomes, and metabolic outcomes are similar in children with ISS and GHD. Results, We observed a narrower variation for fasting insulin (,34·2%) and for homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (,38·9%) after 2 years of individualized GH treatment in comparison with standard GH dose treatment. Similar metabolic changes were seen in ISS and GHD. Delta (,) height SDS correlated with ,insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), ,leptin and ,body composition. Principal component analysis identified an anabolic and a lipolytic component. Anabolic variables [,lean body mass (LBM) SDS and ,IGF-I SDS] clustered together and correlated strongly with ,height SDS and GH dose, whereas lipolytic variables [,fat mass (FM) SDS and ,leptin] were clustered separately from anabolic variables. Regression analysis showed GH dose dependency in ISS, and to a lesser degree in GHD, for ,LBM SDS and ,height SDS, but not for changes in FM. Conclusions, Individualized GH dosing during catch-up growth reduces the variance in insulin and HOMA and results in equal metabolic responses irrespective of the diagnosis of GHD or ISS. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Should short children born small for gestational age with a distance to target height <1 standard deviation score be excluded from growth hormone treatment?CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Annemieke J. Lem Summary Context, The criteria for starting growth hormone (GH), an approved treatment for short children born small for gestational age (SGA), differ between Europe and the USA. One European requirement for starting GH, a distance to target height (DTH) of ,1 standard deviation score (SDS), is controversial. Objective, To investigate the influence of DTH on growth during GH treatment in short SGA children and to ascertain whether it is correct to exclude children with a DTH <1 SDS from GH. Patients, A large group of short prepubertal SGA children (baseline n = 446; 4 years GH n = 215). Measurements, We analysed the prepubertal growth response during 4 years of GH. We investigated the influence of the continuous variable DTH SDS on growth response and a possible DTH SDS cut-off level below which point the growth response is insufficient. Results, Height gain SDS during 4 years of GH showed a wide variation at every DTH SDS level. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that, after correction for other significant variables, an additional DTH of 1 SDS resulted in 0·13 SDS more height gain during 4 years of GH. We found no significant differences in height gain below and above certain DTH SDS cut-off levels. Conclusions, DTH SDS had a weak positive effect on height gain during 4 years of GH, while several other determinants had much larger effects. We found no support for using any DTH cut-off level. Based on our data, excluding children with a DTH <1 SDS from GH treatment is not justified. [source] Interactions between TCF7L2 genotype and growth hormone-induced changes in glucose homeostasis in small for gestational age childrenCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Sandra W. K. De Kort Summary Context, The Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) rs7903146 gene polymorphism has been associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), possibly by decreasing insulin secretion. Small for gestational age (SGA) birth has been associated with type 2 DM in later life. Growth hormone (GH) treatment reduces insulin sensitivity and increases insulin secretion. Therefore, GH-treated SGA children are an ideal group to investigate whether the TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotype is associated with changes in glucose homeostasis. Objective, To determine the impact of the TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism on changes in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity during 4 years of GH treatment in children born SGA. Subjects, A total of 246 Caucasian short children born SGA, with a median age of 7·8 years. Outcome measures, Insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion were measured by the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) (n = 68) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) calculations (all). Results, There was no association between rs7903146 genotype and insulin sensitivity or insulin secretion at baseline but after adjustment for possible confounders, insulin secretion was higher in the CT/TT group than in the CC group. During GH treatment, carriers of the rs7903146 T allele had an increase in insulin secretion similar to that of carriers of the CC genotype. The decrease in insulin sensitivity was only significant in the CT/TT group, but the difference in decrease between genotype groups did not reach significance (P = 0·06). The disposition index (insulin secretion × insulin sensitivity), which is an estimate of beta cell function, was not associated with genotype and did not change during GH treatment. Conclusion, The TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism is not associated with the change in insulin secretion during GH treatment in short SGA children. [source] Long-term effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on body composition and bone mineral density in short children born small-for-gestational-age: six-year follow-up of a randomized controlled GH trialCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Ruben H. Willemsen Summary Context, Alterations in the GH-IGF-I axis in short small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children might be associated with abnormalities in bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition. In addition, birth weight has been inversely associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adult life. Data on detailed body composition in short SGA children and long-term effects of GH treatment are very scarce. Objective, To investigate effects of long-term GH treatment on body composition and BMD by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in short SGA children. Design, Longitudinal 6-year GH study with a randomized controlled part for 3 years. Results, At baseline, fat percentage standard deviation score (SDS) and lumbar spine BMD SDS corrected for height (BMADLS SDS) were significantly lower than zero. Lean body mass (LBM) SDS adjusted for age was also reduced, but LBM adjusted for height (LBM SDSheight) was not decreased. GH treatment induced a decrease in fat percentage SDS and an increase in BMADLS SDS. LBM SDSheight remained similar in GH-treated children, but deteriorated in untreated controls. When these untreated controls subsequently started GH treatment, their LBM SDSheight rapidly normalized to values comparable with zero. Conclusion, During long-term GH treatment in short SGA children, fat percentage SDS decreased and BMADLS SDS increased. These effects of GH treatment were most prominent in children who started treatment at a younger age and in those with greater height gain during GH treatment. LBM SDSheight remained around 0 SDS in GH-treated children, but declined to low normal values in untreated controls. [source] GH responsiveness in a large multinational cohort of SGA children with short stature (NESTEGG) is related to the exon 3 GHR polymorphismCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 3 2007M. Tauber Summary Objective, The polymorphic deletion of exon 3 of the GH receptor (d3-GHR) has recently been linked to the magnitude of growth response to recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy in short children with or without GH deficiency. We investigated this association in a large multinational cohort from the Network of European Studies of Genes in Growth (NESTEGG), comprising short children born small for gestational age (SGA). Design, The study included short prepubertal SGA children treated with rhGH for 1 or 2 years. Population, Two hundred and forty white Caucasian SGA children (138 male, 102 female) aged 6·6 ± 2·3 years with a height at ,3·0 ± 0·7 SDS at start of rhGH treatment; 193 ethnically matched controls. Methods, The GHR polymorphism (fl/fl, fl/d3 or d3/d3) was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplex assay. Growth velocity (G/V) in cm/year and changes in GV during the first and second year of rhGH treatment were evaluated. Results, The change in GV was significantly greater in SGA children carrying one or two copies of the d3-GHR allele (P = 0·038 for the first year and P = 0·041 for the second year of GH treatment), but the change in height was not significantly different. Birthweight was significantly lower in SGA children with the d3/d3 genotype than in SGA children with the fl/fl genotype (P = 0·034) and in those with the fl/d3 genotype (P = 0·016). Conclusion, Our data, based on a large cohort, showed that the exon 3 GHR polymorphism is associated with responsiveness to rhGH treatment in SGA children with short stature. [source] Effects on growth velocity and growth factors in a group of short children given vitamin A supplement: a pilot studyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2002Article first published online: 2 JAN 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] | ||||||||||