Growth Failure Follow-up

  • Author: Stephen Kemp, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: Bruce Buehler, MD   more...
 
Updated: Sep 15, 2009
 

Further Outpatient Care

  • While the cause of growth failure is being investigated, most practitioners prefer to reevaluate patients at intervals of 3 months. This amount of time also permits repeated growth measurements, which then allows an estimation of growth velocity.
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Prognosis

  • Prognosis for adult stature depends on the cause of the growth failure. Initiating therapeutic intervention is important before the patient has closure of the epiphyses with the concomitant finishing of the growth process. If a diagnosis of hypothyroidism or growth hormone (GH) deficiency is made, replacement of the deficient hormone usually results in a period of rapid catch-up growth, with subsequent normal growth until epiphyseal fusion.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Stephen Kemp, MD, PhD  Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Arkansas and Arkansas Children's Hospital

Stephen Kemp, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Pediatric Society, Endocrine Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Southern Medical Association, and Southern Society for Pediatric Research

Disclosure: Genentech, Inc. Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Pfizer, Inc. Honoraria Consulting

Coauthor(s)

Neslihan Gungor, MD  Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh

Neslihan Gungor, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Thomas A Wilson, MD  Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics; Director of Pediatric Endocrinology, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Thomas A Wilson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Endocrine Society, Lawson-Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mary L Windle, PharmD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

George P Chrousos, MD, FAAP, MACP, MACE, FRCP(London)  Professor and Chair, First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Greece

George P Chrousos, MD, FAAP, MACP, MACE, FRCP(London) is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Endocrinology, American College of Physicians, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, Endocrine Society, Lawson-Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, and Society for Pediatric Research

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Merrily P M Poth, MD  Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Merrily P M Poth, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, Endocrine Society, and Lawson-Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Bruce Buehler, MD  Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Genetics, Director RSA, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Bruce Buehler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association on Mental Retardation, American College of Medical Genetics, American College of Physician Executives, American Medical Association, and Nebraska Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

  1. [Guideline] New York State Department of Health. Growth, body composition, and metabolism. New York (NY): New York State Department of Health; 2007 Nov. [Full Text].

  2. Lindsay R, Feldkamp M, Harris D. Utah Growth Study: growth standards and the prevalence of growth hormone deficiency. J Pediatr. Jul 1994;125(1):29-35. [Medline].

  3. Lacey KA, Parkin JM. Causes of short stature. A community study of children in Newcastle upon Tyne. Lancet. Jan 12 1974;1(7846):42-5. [Medline].

  4. Carrel AL, Allen DB. Effects of growth hormone on body composition and bone metabolism. Endocrine. Apr 2000;12(2):163-72. [Medline].

  5. Grimberg A, Kutikov JK, Cucchiara AJ. Sex differences in patients referred for evaluation of poor growth. J Pediatr. Feb 2005;146(2):212-6. [Medline].

  6. Hindmarsh PC, Brook CG. Short stature and growth hormone deficiency. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Aug 1995;43(2):133-42. [Medline].

  7. Hintz RL. Growth hormone treatment of idiopathic short stature. Horm Res. 1996;46(4-5):208-14. [Medline].

  8. Hintz RL. Disorders of growth. In: Brunwald E, Fauci AS, Isselbacher KJ, et al, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 13th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division; 1994.

  9. Horner JM, Thorsson AV, Hintz RL. Growth deceleration patterns in children with constitutional short stature: an aid to diagnosis. Pediatrics. Oct 1978;62(4):529-34. [Medline].

  10. Kojima M, Hosoda H, Date Y. Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. Nature. Dec 9 1999;402(6762):656-60. [Medline].

  11. Kojima M, Hosoda H, Matsuo H. Ghrelin: discovery of the natural endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Trends Endocrinol Metab. Apr 2001;12(3):118-22. [Medline].

  12. Stabler B, Clopper RR, Siegel PT, et al. Academic achievement and psychological adjustment in short children. The National Cooperative Growth Study. J Dev Behav Pediatr. Feb 1994;15(1):1-6. [Medline].

  13. Stabler B, Siegel PT, Clopper RR, et al. Behavior change after growth hormone treatment of children with short stature. J Pediatr. Sep 1998;133(3):366-73. [Medline].

  14. Tanner JM. Fetus into Man: Physical Growth from Conception to Maturity. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press; 1990.

  15. Tanner JM. Normal growth and techniques of growth assessment. Clin Endocrinol Metab. Aug 1986;15(3):411-51. [Medline].

  16. Zemel B. The recognition and treatment of growth disorders - a 50-year retrospective. Ann Hum Biol. Sep-Oct 2009;36(5):496-510. [Medline].

 
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Growth failure in length and weight with a normal head circumference in an infant with growth hormone deficiency.
 
 
 
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