Three-Year Growth Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in Very Young Children Born Small for Gestational Age—Data from KIGS

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2014-08, Vol.99 (8), p.2683-2688
• Main Authors: Boguszewski, Margaret C. S, Lindberg, Anders, Wollmann, Hartmut A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Development - drug effects; Child, Preschool; Databases, Factual; Endocrinopathies; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth Disorders - drug therapy; Growth Disorders - epidemiology; Human Growth Hormone - therapeutic use; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age - growth & development; Male; Medical sciences; Treatment Outcome; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2013-4117

Context: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) with poor growth during the first years of life may remain short in stature during childhood and as adults. Objective: To evaluate the 3-year growth response to GH treatment in very young short children born SGA, and to test the existing predictions models for growth response developed for older SGA children. Setting: KIGS (The Pfizer International Growth Database). Patients: A total of 620 SGA children (birth length and/or weight below −2 SD score [SDS]) on GH treatment, 156 in the 2- to 4-year-old group (100 boys; median age, 3.3 y), and 464 in the 4- to 6-year-old group (284 boys; median age, 4.9 y). Results: Median values and 10th-90th percentiles are presented. Both groups presented a significant increase in height velocity during GH treatment. Median height SDS increased from −3.9 (−5.4 to −2.9) at the start to −2.2 (−3.8 to −1.0) at 3 years in the 2- to 4-year-old group (P < .01) and from −3.4 (−4.5 to −2.6) to −2.0 (−3.3 to −0.9) in the 4- to 6-year-old group (P < .01). Median weight SDS increased from −3.8 (−5.9 to −2.4) to −2.1 (−4.1 to −0.5) in the 2- to 4-year-old group (P < .01). Respective values for the 4- to 6-year-old group were −3.1 (−4.8 to −1.8) to −1.6 (−3.1 to −0.1) SDS (P < .01). First- and second-year growth response could be estimated by the SGA model. Conclusion: Very young children born SGA without spontaneous catch-up growth presented a significant improvement in height and weight during the 3 years of GH treatment. Growth response could be estimated by the SGA model.