title: Growth patterns in children with sickle cell anemia during puberty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies of children with homozygous sickle cell anemia (SCA) show impaired growth and maturation. The correlation of this suboptimal growth with metabolic and hematological factors during puberty is poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a group of pre-adolescent children with SCA (19 males, 14 females) and healthy controls (16 males, 15 females) matched for race, sex, body size, and pubertal development. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and body composition changes were longitudinally assessed over a 2-year period and compared between the groups and with Z scores based on US growth charts. These changes were correlated with hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration and with energy expenditure (EE) measured using indirect whole-room calorimetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with SCA progressed through puberty slower than control children. While, after 2 years, pubertal males with SCA were shorter, their annual increases in weight were not different from controls. The mean fat free mass (FFM) increments were significantly less in males and females with SCA than in control children. In males with SCA, growth in height declined over time and was significantly slower than in matched controls (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growth delays were present during puberty in children with SCA. Decreased growth velocity in children with SCA was independently associated with decreased Hgb concentration and increased total EE.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Rhodes
authors: Sylvie A
authors: SA
authors: Akohoue
authors: Sadhna M
authors: SM
authors: Shankar
authors: Irma
authors: I
authors: Fleming
authors: Angel
authors: A
authors: Qi An
authors: Chung
authors: C
authors: Yu
authors: Sari
authors: S
authors: Acra
authors: Maciej S
authors: MS
authors: Buchowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*