[Linear growth evaluation of asthmatic children].
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to assess the effect of atopic asthma on the stature and growth velocity of Brazilian adolescents and children, taking into consideration their socioeconomic conditions, natural disease history and individual growth.


METHODS
66 patients had been seen at the Pneumology, Immunology and Allergy Ambulatory, Unicamp, University Hospital. Their height and weight were measured every 3 months and the bone age was obtained once during this period. The patients were divided into two groups according to their puberal development: prepubertal and puberal.


RESULTS
Prepuberal - 40 patients with 0.6 to 1.5 years (1.04+/-0.19) of follow-up. The mean height/age z-score was 0.028 +/- 0.978 and the mean growth velocity z-score was 0.045 +/- 1.11. Puberal - 26 patients with 0.5 to 1.3 years (0.99+/-1.722) of follow-up. The mean height/age z-score was 0.170 +/- 1.209 and the mean growth velocity z-score was 0.042 +/- 2.321. In the prepuberal group the patients who had one or more pneumonia during the follow-up had lower mean growth velocity z-score than the others (p=0.04). The high dose of glucocorticoids used by puberal patients was considered a risk factor for growth velocity (p=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The children and adolescents suffering from asthma could grow normally and attain their full genetic potential by treating the disease correctly, controlling infections and having favorable living conditions.
Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, S. Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Maria  Angela G
M
Monteiro-Antonio
Jose Dirceu
JD
Ribeiro
Adyleia Aparecida D Contrera
AA
Toro
Aquiles Eugenico
AE
Piedrabuena
Andre Moreno
AM
Morcillo
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones