GROWTH-HORMONE TREATMENT OF RUSSELL-SILVER-SYNDROME

Russell-Silver syndrome represents a special group of children with in trauterine growth retardation (IUGR) who do not experience catch-up gr owth and have characteristic dysmorphic features. They also have chara cteristics of abnormal growth hormone pulsatility, absence of catch-do wn growth after growth hormone therapy and inappropriate advancement o f bone age during the middle childhood years. Data from children with Russell-Silver syndrome should certainly be analysed as a separate gro up from short children due to nondysmorphic IUGR. Initial data suggest s that final height outcome will be improved by using pharmacological doses of biosynthetic human growth hormone. Indeed, the recent data su pports the hypothesis of Blizzard's group in 1974 that if growth hormo ne became available in sufficient quantities, then final height could be altered in IUGR children. In addition, the early recognition and tr eatment of spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycaemia may well improve the ed ucational achievement of such children.