title: Short children with low birth weight born either small for gestational age or average for gestational age show similar growth response and changes in insulin-like growth factor-1 to growth hormone treatment during the first prepubertal year.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Growth hormone (GH) is an accepted treatment for short children born small for gestational age (SGA). The aim of this analysis was to compare the growth response to GH in children with low birth weight born SGA or appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective observational study is from one center. Of all the children with a birth weight <2,500 g treated, 50 were primarily diagnosed as having growth hormone deficiency ([A] SGA, n = 26; [B] AGA, n = 24) and 138 were originally diagnosed SGA or AGA (reclassified: [C] SGA, n = 102; [D] AGA, n = 36).
  
  
  RESULTS
  [Median; A, B, C, D]: at an age of 4.9, 5.2, 5.8, 5.8 years, a height of -2.9, -2.4, -2.8, -2.9 SDS and a GH dose of 27, 28, 41, 39 μg/kg/day, the children grew 0.9, 0.9, 0.8, 0.9 SDS in height, respectively. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) at GH start was, respectively, -2.1, -2.2, -0.4, -0.9 SDS and rose to (delta IGF-1) 1.8, 2.0, 1.7, 1.5 SDS during the first year on GH. All differences were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We show for the first time that short stature children with low birth weight born AGA experience the same increase in height and IGFs to GH treatment as those born SGA irrespective of actual GH secretory status.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany. michael.ranke@gmx.de
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ranke
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehehalt
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Schwarze
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Wollmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schweizer
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I