title: Linear growth and final height characteristics in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Growth retardation is an established complication of anorexia nervosa (AN). However, findings concerning final height of AN patients are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess these phenomena in female adolescent inpatients with AN.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied all 211 female adolescent AN patients hospitalized in an inpatient eating disorders department from 1/1/1987 to 31/12/99. Height and weight were assessed at admission and thereafter routinely during hospitalization and follow-up. Final height was measured in 69 patients 2-10 years after discharge. Pre-morbid height data was available in 29 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' height standard deviation scores (SDS) on admission (-0.285±1.0) and discharge (-0.271±1.02) were significantly (p<0.001) lower than expected in normal adolescents. Patients admitted at age ≤13 years, or less than 1 year after menarche, were more severely growth-impaired than patients admitted at an older age, (p = 0.03). Final height SDS, available for 69 patients, was -0.258±1.04, significantly lower than expected in a normal population (p = 0.04), and was more severely compromised in patients who were admitted less than 1 year from their menarche. In a subgroup of 29 patients with complete growth data (pre-morbid, admission, discharge, and final adult height), the pre-morbid height SDS was not significantly different from the expected (-0.11±1.1), whereas heights at the other time points were significantly (p = 0.001) lower (-0.56±1.2, -0.52±1.2, and -0.6±1.2, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that whereas the premorbid height of female adolescent AN patients is normal, linear growth retardation is a prominent feature of their illness. Weight restoration is associated with catch-up growth, but complete catch-up is often not achieved.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. dmodan@sheba.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Dalit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modan-Moses
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yaroslavsky
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kochavi
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toledano
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Segev
authors.forename: Fadel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balawi
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mitrany
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult