Growth Disorders

Growth disorders in adolescents.

BACKGROUND Growth is one of the fundamental processes of adolescent development. Careful history and examination, and relevant tar-geted investigations, can streamline the referral process, highlighting the important role of primary healthcare clinicians. OBJECTIVE This article will provide a guide for clinicians to categorise growth patterns in adolescents, and recognise patients who may hav...

Sleep EEG in growth disorders.

The sleep of 30 children with disorders of growth and development was studied because of the known association between sleep and the secretion of hormones. Thirty three normal children were studied for comparison. The sleep of two consecutive nights was monitored at home using a small portable electroencephalogram and electro-oculogram recorder. Within the normal group there were no significant...

Growth Hormone and Its Disorders

Disorders of Growth and Stature.

Growth parameters are routinely measured in general pediatrics, with the goal of identifying children with abnormalities in growth and stature. Short stature is defined as a height less than 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean of the “normal” population, while tall stature is defined as a height greater than 2 SDs above the mean of the normal population. Both single growth measurements a...

Growth hormone and its disorders.

Growth hormone (GH) is synthesised and secreted by the somatotroph cells of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Its actions involve multiple organs and systems, affecting postnatal longitudinal growth as well as protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. GH hypersecretion results in gigantism or acromegaly, a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality, while GH defici...