[Clinical predictors of growth response in the first year of treatment with a fixed dose of growth hormone in children born small for gestational age].
OBJECTIVE
To identify clinical predictors associated with catch-up growth in the first year of treatment with somatropin (rhGH) in a group of children born small for gestational age (SGA).


METHODS
Thirty nine children who have been on rhGH therapy for at least one year (0.33 mg/kg/week) were evaluated. The clinical parameters analyzed were chronological age (CA), bone age (BA), target height and standard deviations scores (SDS) of birth weight and length, height, weight and growth rate.


RESULTS
rhGH therapy was associated with a first year height increment of 0.67 SDS (p < 0.01). BA and birth weight SDS were predictive of growth response, with statistical difference in height SDS variation between prepubertal and pubertal subgroups (p = 0.016).


CONCLUSIONS
These data show a significant growth response with a fixed rhGH dose, those children who started rhGH in prepubertal ages presented the best outcomes.
Furtado
Adriana Claudia Lopes Carvalho
AC
Departamento de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brasil. adrianafurtado@terra.com.br
Castro
Luiz Claudio Gonçalves de
LC
Rodrigues
Marcelo Palmeira
MP
Naves
Luciana Ansaneli
LA
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone