Growth prognosis and growth after menarche in primary hypothyroidism
Article Abstract:
The thyroid gland is a horseshoe-shaped gland located in the neck in front of the trachea (windpipe). It makes a hormone called thyroxine, which is required for normal growth and development of bones and muscles. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroxine. When inadequate thyroxine production occurs in children, it is called juvenile primary hypothyroidism. Children with this condition have stunted growth and may have symptoms of mental retardation. Thyroxine supplements are used to treat patients with juvenile primary hypothyroidism. This treatment can increase the rate of growth. To study the effects of thyroxine treatment on growth rate, 20 girls and 9 boys with juvenile primary hypothyroidism were studied. At the time of diagnosis, the girls had an average age of nine years and an average bone age of five years, while the boys had an average age of 10 years and an average bone age of 6 years. All of the children were treated with enough thyroxine to maintain normal blood levels of the hormone. Treatment resulted in a rapid increase in skeletal growth. However, despite periods of rapid growth, the children never reached the average heights for their ages. In the girls, puberty occurred one year later than normal, with most of the girls reaching menarche (the first menstrual period) at 14 years. In the boys, genital development occurred almost two years later than normal, at age 13. These findings indicate that treatment of hypothyroidism with thyroxine causes a rapid phase of growth, but that maximum growth is still not achieved. All of the children, except one, were shorter than the average for the general population. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-9888
Year: 1991
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Growth hormone treatment of growth failure secondary to total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation
Article Abstract:
Bone marrow transplant is used to treat patients with leukemia, whose tumors are a result of abnormal white blood cell production. Prior to bone marrow transplant these patients are treated with high doses of anticancer drugs (chemotherapy) and they undergo radiation treatments over their entire body (total body irradiation) to destroy any cancerous cells. The chemotherapy and radiation treatments can be very debilitating to the patient and can cause growth retardation. Radiation has been reported to impair the growth of the spine and to reduce the production of growth hormone, which is essential for normal growth and development. Children with growth hormone deficiency can often be treated with human growth hormone. To determine if treatment with growth hormone would reverse the growth retardation caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatments, 13 children with leukemia were studied. The children had been treated with chemotherapy and radiation and had received bone marrow transplants three years before receiving treatment with growth hormone. During the first year of treatment with growth hormone, all of the patients increased their rate of growth. In the year before treatment with growth hormone the children grew an average of 3.6 centimeters (cm). During the first, second and third years of treatment the average growth was 5.2 cm, 5.0 cm and 4.6 cm, respectively. It is concluded that growth hormone treatments can restore growth to normal rates in children following chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplantation. Although growth hormone restored the rate of growth to normal, it did not restore the children to a normal size for their age. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-9888
Year: 1991
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