Should we treat children with idiopathic short stature?
The use of growth hormone (GH) to treat short children who are clearly GH-deficient is now well accepted. However, GH treatment of short children who have no currently recognizable abnormalities in their GH-insulin-like growth factor I axis remains controversial. Whether such children with so-called idiopathic short stature (ISS) should be treated with GH was the subject of an international workshop held in St.-Paul-de-Vence, France, in April 1999. This article summarizes the issues discussed at the workshop, including the definition of ISS, ethical and health-economic aspects of treatment, results from clinical trials and surveillance studies, and the use of prediction models in aiding treatment decisions.
Kelnar
C J
CJ
Department of Child Life and Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Albertsson-Wikland
K
K
Hintz
R L
RL
Ranke
M B
MB
Rosenfeld
R G
RG
D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011788:Quality of Life
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I