Should recombinant human growth hormone therapy be used in short small for gestational age children?
Short small for gestational age (SGA) children represent 20% of all children with short stature and therefore constitute a significant portion of the caseload in a growth clinic. The recent approval of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of short stature in SGA children by the European Union's Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products offers a new licensed therapeutic option. This article examines the role of GH therapy in short SGA children with particular reference to selection of patients, effectiveness, safety, and its potential metabolic implications.
Paediatric Endocrine Section, Department of Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London Queen Mary School of Medicine, London, UK. l.b.Johnston@qmul.ac.uk
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D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I