Abstract
Body growth in NS has been studied mainly during steroid medication(ST) and rarely up to adult stature. In 156 children with NS body height(BH), growth velocity(GV) and skeletal maturation were followed from the onset of disease for >2 yrs and in 37 up to adult height. GV was transiently depressed <3rd centile(c) in 39 of 41 ST sensitive prepubertal pts treated by ST for >1 yr (mean prednisone dose 22g/m2). After stopping ST for >1 yr catch-up growth (GV > 97th c) occured in all 23 children in this group. The growth depressing effect of ST was dose-dependent and more pronounced during puberty than before. Adult BH was reduced by >1SD from the original BH in only 1/18 ST sensitive male but in 8/11 female pts and only after a total prednisone dose >10g/m2. Of 27 ST resistent children 20 presented with BH < 50th c at apparent onset of NS; only 5 cases (all severely hypoalbuminaemic) showed a decrease of GV to < 3rd c and of BH by >1 c curve after stopping ST and in absence of renal failure. In conclusion, growth potential of children with NS is usually conserved except for ST sensitive females treated by high ST and some pts with severe ST resistant NS. These data may have therapeutic implications mainly in males with ST dependent NS.
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Schärer, K., Jura, E. & Mehls, O. LONG-TERM GROWTH OF CHILDREN WITH IDIOPATHIC NEPHROTIC SYNDROME (NS). Pediatr Res 14, 1001 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198008000-00168
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198008000-00168