title: European multicentre study in children born small for gestational age with persistent short stature: comparison of continuous and discontinuous growth hormone treatment regimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most effective growth hormone (GH) treatment regimen for increasing height in short children born small for gestational age (SGA) has not been well defined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Short SGA children (n = 151, age 3-8 years, height less than -2.5 standard deviation scores) were randomised to receive low-dose GH for 2 years (0.033/0.033 mg/kg/day, n = 51), high-dose GH for 1 year and then no treatment for 1 year (0.100/0 mg/kg/day, n = 51) or were untreated for 1 year then received mid-dose GH for 1 year (0/0.067 mg/kg/day, n = 47). Height, bone age and adverse events were determined at check-ups every 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean +/- SD additional height gain with GH after 1 year, relative to untreated controls, was higher with discontinuous high-dose than with continuous low-dose GH (6.5 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.2 cm). After 2 years, the additional height gain was similar between high- and low-dose GH groups (between-group treatment difference = 0.2, 95% CI = -0.8 to 1.2 cm, p = 0.702). Patients treated exclusively in the last year had a similar height gain to those in the other treatment groups (p = 0.604).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In short SGA children, continuous low-dose and discontinuous high-dose GH regimens were associated with similar height gain. Treatment with mid-dose GH for 1 year also led to a similar improvement in growth.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. mosheph@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Phillip
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lebenthal
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lebl
authors.forename: Nehama
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zuckerman-Levin
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korpal-Szczyrska
authors.forename: Jorge Sales
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steensberg
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jons
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kappelgaard
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ibanez
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007328:Insulin; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; C515497:IGFBP3 protein, human