Normal and Abnormal Growth in Childhood - Related Resources

Cochrane reviews

One year of weekly human growth hormone appears to result in a 3.9 cm/yr increase in height velocity above that of untreated controls in children with chronic renal failure, but studies were too short to determine if continuing treatment resulted in an increase in final adult heightGrowth Hormone for Children with Chronic Renal Failure.
Recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) is effective in increasing short-term growth in girls with Turner syndrome and it may increase final height by up to six cm, but final height of treated women is still outside the normal range Recombinant Growth Hormone in Children and Adolescents with Turner Syndrome.
Many diet and exercise interventions to prevent obesity in children may be effective in promoting a healthy diet and increased physical activity but mostly ineffective in preventing weight gain Prevention of Obesity in Children.
Calcium supplementation in children does not provide such an increase in bone mineral density that would result in a clinically significant decrease in fracture risk Calcium Supplementation for Improving Bone Mineral Density in Children.

Zinc supplementation improves children's growth in settings with high rates of stunting and/or low plasma zinc concentrations Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Children's Growth.
Low carbohydrate diets, low glycaemic index diets and energy-restricted low fat diets may produce a comparable short-term weight loss in overweight or obese children. The long-term weight control remains unclear Diets for Obesity in Children.

Kipping RR, Jago R, Lawlor DA. Obesity in children. Part 2: Prevention and management. BMJ 2008 Oct 22;337():a1848. [PubMed]
Sterling HF, Kelnar CJH. Growth in infancy and childhood. In book: Kelnar C J H et al. (editors) Growth disorders, pathophysiology and treatment. Chapman & Hall, 1998
Horton WA, Hall JG, Hecht JT. Achondroplasia. Lancet 2007 Jul 14;370(9582):162-72. [PubMed]

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