GH therapy can increase short-term growth and improve ( near ) final height .
Increases in height are such that treated individuals remain relatively short when compared with peers of normal stature .
BACKGROUND Idiopathic short stature ( ISS ) refers to children who are very short compared with their peers for unknown or hereditary reasons .
Recombinant human growth hormone ( GH ) has been used to increase growth and final height in children with ISS .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of recombinant human GH on short-term growth and final height in children with ISS .
Growth Hormone Treatment in Non‐Growth Hormone‐Deficient Children: Effects of Stopping Treatment
ABSTRACT . Overnight physiological  growth hormone ( GH ) secretion was evaluated in 95 short , prepubertal children ( 73 boys , 22 girls ) . All the children were below the 3rd centile for height and achieved CH levels greater than 15 mU/1 following pharmacological stimulation . The mean average GH level was 7.1 mU/l and the mean sum of pulse amplitudes 80.4 mU/l . No relationship was found between age , height or height velocity and any of the parameters of GH secretion . The group was r and omized to receive placebo , GH or remain under observation for the first 6 months and then all patients received GH treatment for a further 6 months . Those treated with GH , 0.27 IU/kg ( 0.1 mg/kg ) three times weekly , in the first phase . demonstrated a mean increase in height velocity SDS of 3.24 . There was no difference in growth response between the placebo or observation groups . In the second 6‐month period . all children received GH according to the same dose regimen : they were then observed for a further 6 months following its discontinuation . In the 6 months following withdrawal of GH , all groups showed a significant fall in height velocity SDS , which returned to pretreatment levels , without demonstrating‘catch‐down’growth . Repeat sampling of overnight GH secretion within 3 days of discontinuing GH showed normal secretory patterns with a small reduction in mean peak amplitude . These results suggest that short children without classic GH insufficiency respond well to exogenous GH in the short term and return to pretreatment height velocities afterwards . Consequently , it may be possible to increase final adult height in such children by GH treatment
GH therapy can increase short-term growth and improve ( near ) final height .
Increases in height are such that treated individuals remain relatively short when compared with peers of normal stature .
BACKGROUND Idiopathic short stature ( ISS ) refers to children who are very short compared with their peers for unknown or hereditary reasons .
Recombinant human growth hormone ( GH ) has been used to increase growth and final height in children with ISS .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of recombinant human GH on short-term growth and final height in children with ISS .