HORMONAL STATUS OF SHORT CHILDREN BORN SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hormonal status in a subgroup of prepubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA) who lacked postnatal catch-up growth. In this subgroup, a reduced rate of growth hormone (GH) secretion was found, compared with reference g roups of healthy children born appropriate for gestational age, of eit her normal or short stature at the time of investigation. In addition, an abnormal pattern of GH secretion was observed in short children bo rn SGA, which was most pronounced in the younger children, and involve d an increased frequency of GH peaks of low amplitude, combined with i ncreased baseline secretion. Levels of insulin-like growth factor I (I GF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 were also reduced in short children bo rn SGA, compared with the reference groups. These findings may explain , in part, the lack of postnatal catch-up growth in short children bor n SGA.