| Updated in 10/18/2021 5:12:48 AM |
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(Journal Article) |
Italian journal of pediatrics 47 (1): 82 (2021)
Prevalence of children born small for gestational age with short stature who qualify for growth hormone treatment.
Gianluca Tamaro
,
Mariagrazia Pizzul
,
Giuliana Gaeta
,
Raffaella Servello
,
Marina Trevisan
,
Patricia Böhm
,
Paola Manera Ada Materassi
,
Anna Macaluso
,
Denis Valentini
,
Maria Chiara Pellegrin
,
Egidio Barbi
,
Gianluca Tornese
ABSTRACT
Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is approved in Europe as a treatment for short children born small for gestational age (SGA) since 2003. However, no study evaluated the prevalence of SGA children with short stature who qualify for rhGH in Europe so far. This study aimed to investigate in an Italian population the prevalence of children born SGA, of short stature in children born SGA, and of SGA children who qualify for rhGH treatment at 4?years of age.We conducted a population-based study on primary care pediatricians' databases in Trieste, Italy. Data was collected on 3769 children born between 2004 and 2014. SGA was defined as birth weight and/or birth length???-?2 SDS. Data on height and weight were registered at the closest well-being visit to 1, 2, 3, 4?years of age. Short stature was defined as height???-?2 SDS. Short children born SGA who qualify for rhGH treatment were identified according to Note AIFA #39 criteria (age???4?years; height???-?2.5 SDS; growth velocity?