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 .
Final Height in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age Treated with Growth Hormone
The aim of this observational study was to assess the long-term growth responses to GH treatment of children born small for gestational age ( SGA ) .  GH treatment was begun before puberty and continued to final height ( FH ) . Seventy-seven short ( height SD score below −2 ) prepubertal children born SGA ( below −2 SD for birth weight and /or birth length ) , with a broad range of GH secretory capacity , were treated with GH in a daily dose of 33 μg/kg ( 0.1 U/kg ) , beginning before the onset of puberty . We observed a difference between adult and pretreatment projected height of 1.3 SD ( 9 cm ) for the entire group . Among the children treated for > 2 y before puberty , this mean gain ( i.e. difference ) in final height was 1.7 SD , whereas the mean gain was 0.9 SD among those in whom treatment was begun < 2 y before puberty . Better catch-up growth was observed in the younger ( r = −0.56 , p < 0.0001 ) , shorter ( r = −0.49 , p < 0.0001 ) , and lighter ( r = −0.46 , p < 0.0001 ) subjects . We conclude that GH treatment improves the final height of short children born SGA . The height gain attained before the onset of puberty is maintained to final height . The younger , shorter , and lighter the child at the start of GH treatment , the better the response . Moreover , most of these SGA individuals treated with GH reach their target height
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 .