Ruveyde Bundak

Growth references for Turkish children aged 6 to 18 years

Aim: To create up‐to‐date reference standards for Turkish children, and to compare these with growth standards for US children (CDC 2000 Growth Charts) and with previous local data. Subjects and Methods: Height and weight measurements of 1100 boys and 1020 girls were obtained by biannual visits to six schools located in relatively well‐off districts of Istanbul city. All children came from well‐to‐do families and all were healthy. All measurements were made by two trained technicians. The LMS method was used in the analyses. Results: Heights of the boys and girls in all age groups were close to the updated 2000 USA growth references and showed an increase from data on Turkish children born 30u2003y earlier. Weight values were high compared to reference data on US children and to the older data on Turkish children.

Growth response to growth hormone-releasing hormone(1–29)-NH2 compared with growth hormone

To assess the growth‐promoting effect of different doses of growth hormone‐releasing hormone(1–29)‐NH, (GHRH(1–29)‐NH2) in GH deficiency (GHD) of hypothalamic origin, 43 prepubertal children aged between 4.3 and 18.9 years (mean 10.4 k 2.9 years) were randomly assigned to three treatment regimens: low‐dose GHRH(1–29)‐NH2 (LD group; n = 15), high‐dose GHRH(1–29)‐NH, (HD group; n = 12) and GH (GH group; n = 16). The LD group received GHRH(1–29)‐NH, at 30 yglkglday S.C. in three daily doses, the HD group received 60 μg/kg/day S.C. in three daily doses and the GH group received GH, 0.1 IU/kg/day S.C. once daily. All children were treated for a period of 6 months. Evaluation included anthropometry, bone age, intravenous and subcutaneous GHRH(1–29)‐NHZ tests and determination of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) levels. An increase in height velocity of 2 cm/year or more was observed in all except two children. Height velocity during treatment was lowest in the LD group, but comparable in the HD and GH groups. An increase in height SDS for bone age occurred only in the GH‐treated group. GH responses to intravenous GHRH(1–29)‐NH, showed a priming effect of the LD GHRH(1–29)‐NH, treatment, while a decrease in response occurred in the GH‐treated group. Following a subcutaneous test dose of one‐third of the daily dose of GHRH(1–29)‐NH, GH levels remained unchanged in both the LD and HD groups. There was accumulation of GHRH immunoreactivity over time in the HD group, but there was no correlation between measured GHRH and GH levels. IGF‐I levels increased in the HD and GH‐treated groups. Antibodies to GHRH were detected in 54% and 58% of children in the LD and HD groups, respectively. None of these variables correlated with changes in height velocity. The results indicate that 6 months of GH and high‐dose GHRH(1–29)‐NH, treatment have similar growth‐promoting effects.