Seventy eight children born small for gestational age without catch-up growth treated with growth hormone from the prepubertal stage until adult height age. An evaluation of puberty and changes in the metabolic profile

A wide variation in height gain rate is observed in children small for gestational age (SGA) treated with growth hormone (GH). The aim of this study was to evaluate prepubertal and pubertal growth, height gain attained at adult age and to assess potential predictive factors in catch-up growth. Changes in metabolic profile were also analyzed.