Short Stature in Children

The definition of short stature varies from society to society. If a person's height falls within the bottom 3% of the population's standards, that individual is considered short. To understand this definition, let's imagine a society consisting of 100 people and arrange them in order of height from tallest to shortest. The first three individuals on the tall side are considered tall, the 94 individuals in the middle are considered average, and the last three individuals on the short side represent the short statured individuals in this population of 100.

The most critical variable for childhood is the rate of growth. Growth rate is the amount of growth in a certain period, for example, a 6-month or 1-year time frame. In the pre-adolescent period, children grow an average of 5-6 cm per year. If a child's growth rate is behind compared to peers, it indicates growth retardation. If a short-statured child is generally healthy and growing at a normal rate, this is referred to as normal short stature, including familial and structural short statures. In cases where short stature is accompanied by growth retardation, there is always an underlying cause, referred to as pathological short stature.

In the Liv Hospital Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic, determining and treating the underlying cause of short stature in a child is essential. In cases related to endocrine diseases, the deficient hormone needs to be replaced. Children diagnosed with hypothyroidism are given thyroid hormone. In children with growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone therapy ensures normal growth and reaching the adult height appropriate for the child's potential.

However, for some diseases causing short stature, there is no specific treatment targeting the cause. In such cases, if no intervention is made for these children, they will remain short in adulthood. The most common examples of this situation are Turner syndrome, a chromosomal disorder, and children born small and remaining short, known as SGA.

Long-term international studies have demonstrated successful outcomes of growth hormone therapy in these children, even when growth hormone deficiency is not present. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have approved growth hormone therapy for children with Turner syndrome and SGA. In Turkey, growth hormone drugs with licenses have approval for use in these conditions.