Short-term growth in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe short-term growth patterns in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).


METHODS
Height was measured daily in 5 children (1 boy) aged 3.9-9.7 years over 9-16 months. Kernel regression analysis was used to characterise short-term growth. The results were compared with data from 43 normal prepubertal children.


RESULTS
Growth was characterised by growth spurts with intervening periods of no discernible growth (stasis). Height gain was positively correlated with the mean amplitude of growth spurts (r = 0.9, p < 0.05). Patients with CAH spent significantly less time in stasis than normal children (5 +/- 4.8 vs. 11.4 +/- 7.2% of study period; p < 0.05), the mean length of growth spurts was significantly longer (110.4 +/- 28.3 vs. 54.0 +/- 13.1 days; p < 0.05) and the mean amplitude significantly lower (0.022 +/- 0.008 vs. 0.037 +/- 0.001 cm/day; p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with normal controls, short-term growth in children with CAH is characterised by long-duration low amplitude growth spurts with reduced periods of growth stasis. Better growth was correlated with the amplitude of growth spurts. The relatively smooth short-term growth in children with CAH suggests that if significant variations in growth rate are seen, they are more likely to be a consequence of under- or over-treatment rather than non-linear growth itself.
Liivak
Kaur
K
Department of Paediatrics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Foster
Peter J
PJ
Thalange
Nandu
N
Tillmann
Vallo
V
D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors