Linear Growth of Prepubertal Asthmatic Thai Children Receiving Long-term Inhaled Corticosteroidst
NUALANONG VISITSUNTHORN, M.D.*, PRANEE MOUNGNOI, M.D.*, AREE SAENGSIRIWUT, M.D.*, SUTTIPONG WACHARASINDHU, M.D.*
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. t This article was presented as a poster presentation in American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Meeting 2001.
Abstact
Background : Long-term inhaled corticosteroids are recommended in persistent asthma in
children. The aim of this study was to determine the growth rate of asthmatic Thai children who
received long-term inhaled corticosteroids.
Method : This controlled clinical trial was carried out on 145 prepubertal asthmatic Thai
children, 81 in the study group (the group who received long-term inhaled corticosteroids) and 64
in the control group.
Results : The mean age of the patients when the study began was 5.9 years in the study
group and 4.7 years in the control group. The average dose of inhaled corticosteroids used was 300
11glday. The average duration overtime of inhaled corticosteroid usage was 2 years (9 months - 5
years).
The study showed that inhaled corticosteroids (300 !lg/day for 9-60 months) have no
significant effects on growth rate. From linear regression analysis, the factors that influenced the
growth rate of asthmatic patients were the severity of the asthma and the age of the patients when
nasal corticosteroids were started.
Insulin-like Growth Factor l (IGF l) and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3
(IGFBP 3), were measured in 7 patients in the study group and 5 in the control group. All were
normal, the height standard deviation score (Ht.SDS) was below average.
Conclusions : The average dose of inhaled corticosteroids (300 !lg/day for 9 months) has
no significant effects on the growth rate of prepubertal asthmatic Thai children.
Keywords : Asthma, Height Standard Deviation Score, Inhaled Corticosteroids, Nasal Corticos teroids, Weight Standard Deviation Score
