Final Height in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age Treated with Growth Hormone

Abstract

The aim of this observational study was to assess the long-term growth responses to GH treatment of children born small for gestational age (SGA). GH treatment was begun before puberty and continued to final height (FH). Seventy-seven short (height SD score below -2) prepubertal children born SGA (below -2 SD for birth weight and/or birth length), with a broad range of GH secretory capacity, were treated with GH in a daily dose of 33 microg/kg (0.1 U/kg), beginning before the onset of puberty. We observed a difference between adult and pretreatment projected height of 1.3 SD (9 cm) for the entire group. Among the children treated for >2 y before puberty, this mean gain (i.e. difference) in final height was 1.7 SD, whereas the mean gain was 0.9 SD among those in whom treatment was begun <2 y before puberty. Better catch-up growth was observed in the younger (r=-0.56, p<0.0001), shorter (r=-0.49, p<0.0001), and lighter (r=-0.46, p<0.0001) subjects. We conclude that GH treatment improves the final height of short children born SGA. The height gain attained before the onset of puberty is maintained to final height. The younger, shorter, and lighter the child at the start of GH treatment, the better the response. Moreover, most of these SGA individuals treated with GH reach their target height.