title: Growth Failure in Hereditary Spherocytosis and the Effect of Splenectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze growth-failure and improvement, if any, following splenectomy in children with hereditary spherocytosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collection from case-records (n=82) over 27-years (1985-2011).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of stunting was 26%; 32% were underweight. Stunted children were older in age (P=0.006) and presented late (P=0.003). Splenectomy (n=26) improved anemia (P<0.001). However, height-for-age did not improve at 1-year, or 4.5-years (median) following splenectomy (P=1.0). Number of underweight children did not reduce at 1- (P=0.21), or 4.5-years (P=0.21) following surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growth-failure is frequent in children with hereditary spherocytosis in India. Splenectomy corrected the anemia but failed to improve the growth.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology unit, Department of Pediatrics and *Department of Hematology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Correspondence to: Dr Deepak Bansal, Professor, Hematology-Oncology unit, Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Center, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. deepakbansaldr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anirban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trehan
authors.forename: Reena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005183:Failure to Thrive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology*