Three-year growth response to growth hormone treatment in very young children born small for gestational age-data from KIGS

Abstract

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). 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. Copyright © 2014 by the Endocrine Society.