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Growth hormone treatment for extremely low birthweight children born small for gestational age
Author(s) -
Onuma Shinsuke,
Ida Shinobu,
Maeyama Takatoshi,
Shoji Yasuko,
Etani Yuri,
Kawai Masanobu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.14363
Subject(s) - medicine , small for gestational age , short stature , growth hormone , growth hormone treatment , gestational age , birth weight , endocrinology , pediatrics , appropriate for gestational age , hormone , pregnancy , genetics , biology
Background The effectiveness of growth hormone (GH) treatment for height gain in short‐stature children born small for gestational age (SGA) with extremely low birthweight (ELBW; birthweight <1,000 g) remains largely unknown. Methods In study 1, 35 prepubertal Japanese children born SGA with ELBW were categorized into three groups based on the presence or absence of catch‐up growth by age 3 (CU(+) and CU(−), respectively) and GH treatment (GH(+) and GH(−), respectively). Height standard deviation (SD) scores (HT‐SDS) in the CU−/GH+ group ( n = 19) were compared with those in the age‐matched CU+/GH− ( n = 9) and CU−/GH‐ groups ( n = 7). In study 2, 66 prepubertal Japanese SGA children treated with GH were divided into three groups by birthweight: <1,000 g ( n = 19), 1,000–2,000 g ( n = 20), and >2,000 g ( n = 27). Changes in HT‐SDS during the initial 3 years of GH treatment were compared among the three groups. Results In study 1, the mean HT‐SDS in the CU−/GH+ group (−1.15 SD) was similar to that in the CU+/GH‐ group (−1.39 SD) but higher than that in the CU−/GH− group (−2.24 SD). In study 2, GH achieved a height gain of +1.62 SD in the ELBW group, which was similar to that in the other groups (1,000–2,000 g: +1.46 SD, >2,000 g: +1.53 SD). Conclusions Growth hormone treatment in short‐stature children born SGA with ELBW increased HT‐SDS, which was similar to that in SGA children born with a birthweight ≥1,000 g. These results indicate that GH treatment may be an effective approach to promote adequate growth recovery for short‐stature children born SGA with ELBW.