title: Growth and sexual maturation in paediatric patients treated by dialysis and following kidney transplantation.
abstract: Linear growth and sexual maturation were assessed in 48 children during dialysis treatment and in 68 children following renal transplantation. Height at the onset of haemodialysis treatment was more than 2 SD below the mean in 33% of prepubertal children. During dialysis treatment most children showed a progressive deterioration in SD score. The onset of puberty and sexual maturation was delayed but was in accordance with bone age. After transplantation 59% of prepubertal children had a normal height increment. Onset of puberty was recorded at a chronological age of 14.6 +/- 1.9 years in boys and 13.3 +/- 1.9 years in girls. The peak of the pubertal growth spurt was 6.6 +/- 1.6 cm/year in boys and 6.5 +/- 2.9 cm/year in girls. The duration of pubertal development in transplanted children was within normal limits. In transplanted girls menarche was achieved at a mean chronological age of 15.9 years and bone age of 12.9 years. Adult height was achieved at a mean age of 20.3 years in men and 18.7 years in women. Overall, one third of the children attained an adult height more than 2 SD below the mean. These data indicate that poor growth is achieved in most children on dialysis treatment; following transplantation normal growth may be restored. However, poor growth before kidney transplantation and the loss of growth potential during pubertal development have a great influence on adult height.
authors.affiliation: Dialysis and Transplant Programme, University Children's Hospital, Het Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Diemen-Steenvoorde
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Donckerwolcke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008572:Menarche; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012741:Sexual Maturation