Author/Editor		Frisch, H
Title		Growth in chronic disease
Type		članek
Source		Slov Pediatr
Vol. and No.		Letnik 1, št. 1
Publication year		1994
Volume		str. 14-9
Language		eng
Abstract		In chronic diseases several factors may contribute to an impairment of adequate longitudinal growth of children. In coeliac disease malnutrition is the main cause of failure to thrive. In 335 patients we found that 33 per cent of children below two years of age and 50 per cent of older patients, respectively, had a height below -2,0 SD. Growth failure is also a characteristic feature in children with chronic renal failure. In 30 patients with renal insufficiency of various aetiologies, neither conservative treatment haemodialysis nor transplantation resulted in improvement of growth. In 30 patients with acute lymphatic leukaemia or non Hodgkin lymphoma we demonstrated that, in addition to the well known, dose-dependent effect of radiation, chemotherapy also has an inhibiting effect on growth. In cystic fibrosis various causes such as genetic factors, increased energy needs, malabsorption and chronic infection contribute to the growth impairment. In 139 patients with cystic fibrosis we found that height and weight were already decreased at birth. Catch up growth was related to the age at diagnosis and treatment. Pubertal growth was decreased and delayed and final height was in the lower normal range. Patterns of growth in chronic diseases allow study of the underlying pathophysiology and consideration of therapeutic intervention, if necessary.
Descriptors		GROWTH DISORDERS CELIAC DISEASE KIDNEY FAILURE, CHRONIC LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOCYTIC, ACUTE CYSTIC FIBROSIS CHILD CHRONIC DISEASE LYMPHOMA, NON-HODGKIN'S BODY HEIGHT BODY WEIGHT AGE FACTORS SEX FACTORS