Open AccessThe Etiology of Short Stature in Children in Eastern Taiwan: A Retrospective Study
Author(s) -
Chien-Wen Yang,
Yu-Hsun Chang,
Chia–Hsiang Chu,
ShaoYin Chu
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
tzu-chi medical journal/cí-jì yīxué
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.343
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2223-8956
pISSN - 1016-3190
DOI - 10.1016/s1016-3190(10)60046-8
Subject(s) - medicine , etiology , short stature , pediatrics , retrospective cohort study , small for gestational age , gestational age , idiopathic short stature , medical record , family history , birth weight , disease , incidence (geometry) , growth hormone , pregnancy , hormone , physics , biology , optics , genetics
ObjectiveTo study the etiology of short stature in children in eastern Taiwan.Materials and MethodsThis retrospective study included patients referred to Hualien Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital for evaluation of short stature from 2002 to 2008. Data were collected from medical records, and included body height and weight by percentile, maternal history, birth history, past medical history, relevant hematological and biochemical investigations, urinalysis, levels of growth and thyroid hormones, bone age, and genetic study.ResultsA total of 139 children were enrolled. Sixty (43.2%) were classified as having idiopathic short stature, 48 (34.5%) were attributed to underlying disease such as gastrointestinal disorder or chronic illness, 14 (10.1%) had been small for gestational age at birth and their growth had not caught up with that of their peers, 11 (7.9%) were diagnosed with familial short stature, and 6 (4.3%) were diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.ConclusionIdiopathic short stature was the most common etiology of short stature in children in eastern Taiwan. The incidence of short stature attributed to underlying disease seems to be higher than in other areas of Taiwan. The percentage of small-for-gestational-age children without catch-up growth was also higher in eastern Taiwan than in other areas