Does preterm birth influence the response to growth hormone treatment in short, small for gestational age children?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether prematurity has an independent influence on the response to GH treatment in short, small for gestational age (SGA) children.


METHODS
A longitudinal 3-year GH study.


METHODS
A total of 392 prepubertal non-GH-deficient, short SGA children, comprising 138 preterm (< 36 weeks) and 254 term (>or= 36 weeks) children.


METHODS
Height, weight, head circumference, skinfolds and serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were measured before start of GH treatment and after 6 months, 1, 2 and 3 years of treatment.


RESULTS
Preterm short SGA children were significantly lighter and shorter at birth after correction for gestational age than term short SGA children (P < 0.001). At start of GH treatment, preterm children were significantly shorter than term children when height was corrected for target height (TH). Preterm children were also significantly leaner as shown by a lower body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) and a lower sum of four skinfolds SDS. Prematurity had no influence on childhood IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels. The response to GH treatment was similar for preterm and term SGA children.


CONCLUSIONS
Within a population of short SGA children, prematurity is associated with a smaller size for gestational age and a shorter height corrected for TH and leaner phenotype in childhood. The response to GH treatment is similar for preterm and term short SGA children.
de Kort
Sandra W K
SW
Department of Paediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. s.dekort@erasmusmc.nl
Willemsen
Ruben H
RH
van der Kaay
Danielle C M
DC
Duivenvoorden
Hugo J
HJ
Hokken-Koelega
Anita C S
AC
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone