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 short children born small‐for‐gestational‐age: the Nordic Multicentre Trial
The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of growth hormone ( GH ) treatment in prepubertal short children born small‐for‐gestational‐age ( SGA ) . Forty‐eight children born SGA from Sweden , Finl and , Denmark and Norway were r and omly allocated to three groups : a control group of 12 children received no treatment for 2 y , one group was treated with GH at 0.1 IU/kg/d ( n= 16 ) , and one group was treated with GH at 0.2 IU/kg/d ( n= 20 ) . In total 42 children completed 2 y of follow‐up , and 24 children from the treated groups completed 3 y of treatment . Their mean ( SD ) age at the start of the study was 4.69 ( 1.61 ) y and their mean ( SD ) height was ‐3.16 ( 0.70 ) st and ard deviation scores ( SDS ) . The children remained prepubertal during the course of the study . No catch‐up growth was observed in the untreated group , but a clear dose‐dependent growth response was found in the treated children . After the third year of treatment , the group receiving the higher dose of GH , achieved their target height . The major determinants of the growth response were the dose of GH used , the age at the start of treatment ( the younger the child , the better the growth response ) and the family‐corrected individual height deficit ( the higher the deficit , the better the growth response ) . Concentration of insulin‐like growth factor‐I ( IGF‐I ) and IGF‐binding protein‐3 increased during treatment . An increase in insulin levels was found without negative effects on fasting glucose levels or glycosylated haemoglobin levels . GH treatment was well tolerated . In conclusion , short prepubertal children born SGA  show a dose‐dependent growth response  to GH therapy , and their target height SDS can be achieved within 3 y of treatment given GH at 0.2 IU/kg/d . However , the long‐term benefit of different regimens of GH treatment in children born SGA remains to be established
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 .