This SR highlights the lack of long-term RCTs reporting final height data and other important qualitative outcomes , such as quality of life .
ABSTRACT Genotropin ( somatropin ) is licensed for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency , Prader-Willi syndrome , Turner syndrome , chronic renal insufficiency and in children born small for gestational age .
This systematic review ( SR ) evaluated the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of Genotropin in these conditions to inform a NICE Technology Appraisal of growth hormone for the treatment of growth failure in children .
Growth hormone treatment of children with Prader‐Willi syndrome affects linear growth and body composition favourably
We have compared the growth and the body composition in children with Prader‐Willi syndrome ( PWS ) with and without growth hormone treatment ( recombinant GH 0.1 IU/kg/day ) after a 1‐y period . Twenty‐nine prepubertal children with PWS , with mean body mass index ( BMI ) SDS of 2.2 , and 10 ( control ) healthy obese children with mean BMI SDS of 5.6 , underwent 24‐h frequent blood sampling . Both PWS and control obese children had low and similar GH levels ( 0.7 /ng/l ± 0.4 SD ) . Serum IGF‐I levels , however , were significantly lower in children with PWS ( ‐1.5 SDS ± 0.8 SD vs ‐0.2 SDS ±0.8 SD ) . The 29 PWS children were r and omized into 2 groups of 15 and 14 subjects for GH treatment and no treatment  , respectively . Height velocity increased from ‐1.9 SDS to + 6.0 SDS in the treated group ( p < 0:001 ) and decreased from ‐0.1 SDS to ‐1.4 SDS in the control PWS group during the study year . BMI decreased significantly for the treated group ( + 3.0 SDS to + 2.0 SDS ) . Relative fat mass decreased significantly , while fat‐free mass increased ( p < 0:001 ) for the treated group . No significant changes were noticed in body composition in the control PWS group . In conclusion , the low spontaneous 24‐h GH secretion , regardless of body weight , and the exceptional response to growth hormone treatment together with the finding of low IGF‐I levels suggest that growth hormone deficiency is a common feature of PWS , as a result of hypothalamic dysfunction . Treatment with growth hormone is beneficial for the majority of PWS children
This SR highlights the lack of long-term RCTs reporting final height data and other important qualitative outcomes , such as quality of life .
ABSTRACT Genotropin ( somatropin ) is licensed for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency , Prader-Willi syndrome , Turner syndrome , chronic renal insufficiency and in children born small for gestational age .
This systematic review ( SR ) evaluated the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of Genotropin in these conditions to inform a NICE Technology Appraisal of growth hormone for the treatment of growth failure in children .