title: Inhaled corticosteroids used for the control of asthma in a "real-life" setting do not affect linear growth velocity in prepubertal children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroids as the first-line treatment for persistent asthma. However, long-term corticosteroid treatment in children has raised concerns about potential growth rate deceleration. We aimed to assess the association of growth velocity with the use of inhaled corticosteroids in prepubertal children with asthma in a "real-life" setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 844 children aged 4-9.5 years coming to the hospital for regular check-ups between October 2006 and February 2009 for asthma with/without allergic rhinitis and no other known constraints of growth. Out of the 844 children, 790 had all data needed for analysis--245 children were not treated with ICS, 545 children received ICS (fluticasone, budesonide) with/without INCS (fluticasone, mometasone or budesonide). During the study period, 48 children with/without ICS received short SCS courses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SE) height at the first check-up was 123.1 (0.31) cm; range (100.0-147.8 cm). Mean (SE) linear growth velocity (LGV) of the included children was 0.185 (0.0035) mm/day between 2 check-ups. No significant difference was found in LGV between the group not treated with ICS (0.180 mm/day±0.0055) and the group treated with ICS (0.187±0.0044 mm/day). Also, there was no statistical difference between subgroups according to additional therapy with INCS and SCS. No significant correlation was found for LGV and daily dose of ICS (r=0.086, p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our retrospective study using electronic hospital database, ICS and combined use of corticosteroids did not show any association with LGV in prepubertal asthmatic children in a "real-life" setting.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Srebrnjak, Reference Center for Clinical Pediatric Allergy of the Ministry of Health, Zagreb, Croatia. erceg@bolnica-srebrnjak.hr
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erceg
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nenadic
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plavec
authors.forename: Boro
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nogalo
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turkalj
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents