Growth hormone improves body composition and motor development in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome after six months.
BACKGROUND
Infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) show abnormalities of body composition. Children with PWS treated with growth hormone (GH) demonstrate improved body composition and motor skills.


OBJECTIVE
To assess body composition and motor changes in infants with PWS following 6 months GH therapy.


METHODS
Twenty-five infants with PWS (mean age 15.5 mo) underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) assessment of body composition, and motor assessment with the Toddler Infant Motor Evaluation (TIME). Patients were then randomized to treatment (Genotropin, 1 mg/m2/day) or control, with reassessment at 6 months.


RESULTS
GH treatment significantly increased lean body mass (6.4 +/- 2.4 kg to 8.9 +/- 2.7 kg) and decreased body fat (27.6 +/- 9.9% to 22.4 +/- 10.3%). Age equivalent motor scores improved 4 months in the treated group vs 2 months in controls (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Infants with PWS show significant body composition and motor development improvement following 6 months GH therapy. We are investigating whether this improvement leads to long-term reductions in obesity.
Whitman
Barbara
B
St. Louis University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, MO 63104-1095, USA. whitmanb@slu.edu
Carrel
Aaron
A
Bekx
Tracy
T
Weber
Colleen
C
Allen
David
D
Myers
Susan
S
D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002875:Chromosomes; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010641:Phenotype; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019382:Human Growth Hormone