Turner syndrome: a pattern of early growth failure

The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of early growth in g irls with Turner syndrome. Analysis was performed on a total of 464 longitu dinal measurements of height, obtained from birth to 8 years of age from 37 girls with Turner syndrome who did not have significant cardiac disease or autosomal abnormalities. All data were obtained prior to the initiation of any hormonal therapy. Mean height SDS fell from -0.5 at birth to -1.5 at a ge 1 year and -1.8 at age 1.5 years. Growth curves fitted using the first t wo components of the infancy-childhood-puberty model of growth revealed tha t growth failure was due to (a) mild growth retardation in utero, (b) slow growth during infancy, (c) delayed onset of the childhood component of grow th and (d) slow growth during childhood. Physicians should consider the dia gnosis of Turner syndrome in any girl with an unexplained failure to thrive or with short stature, even during the first 2 years of life.