title: Effects of beclomethasone and factors related to asthma on the growth of prepubertal children.
abstract: Few studies on the concomitant effects of beclomethasone dipropionate and asthma-related factors on the growth of prepubertal asthmatic children have been published to date. In this prospective long-term 'real-life' cohort study we recruited 82 prepubertal steroid-naïve asthmatic patients aged 3 + years, excluding those with birth weight lower than 2500 g, malnutrition, and other concurrent chronic diseases. Height/age and weight/age Z scores were calculated every three months. Random effects multivariate longitudinal data analysis was used to adjust height/age and weight/age Z scores with independent variables. Among the studied patients, 63.4% were male, aged 4.7 + or - 1.5 years, 68.3% suffered from severe persistent asthma and had normal values for height/age and weight/age Z scores at enrolment. They were followed for 5.2 years (range 2.3-6.1) and used a mean daily beclomethasone dipropionate dose of 351.8 mcg (range 137.3-1140.0). Height/age and weight/age Z scores were not affected by either duration of treatment or doses of beclomethasone dipropionate up to 500 mcg, 750 mcg and higher than 750 mcg (p-values > 0.17). The multivariate analysis final model showed that severe persistent asthma was associated to lower height for age Z score (p = 0.04), whereas hospitalizations because of acute asthma (before and during follow-up) were associated (p = 0.02) to lower weight for age Z score. Growth parameters were not affected by the use of beclomethasone dipropionate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. pcamargs@medicina.ufmg.br
authors.forename: Paulo A M
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Camargos
authors.forename: Laura M L B F
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lasmar
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000886:Anthropometry; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001507:Beclomethasone