What Factors Influence Linear Growth After Transplantation?

Discussion Growth is a defining characteristic of children. Children are expected to have normal height, weight and head circumference growth velocities for their specific age. A review of mid-parental height determination and other growth parameters can be found here. For children with chronic illness and organ dysfunction or failure, their bodies cannot be expected to continue to have normal growth and therefore these children often have failure of normal growth for any and all of the growth parameters. For children facing organ failure or high risk or relapsed cancers, organ transplantation can be life-saving, but is not without its own problems including neurocognitive abnormalities, psychosocial dysfunction, endocrine abnormalities, bone abnormalities, primary or secondary malignancy, increased risk of infections and growth abnormalities. While evaluation of weight and head circumferences are important, many studies have focused on outcomes of final height in children who have undergone transplantation. Learning Point Linear growth following organ transplantation appears to be influenced by the following: Genetic potential – mid-parental height should be assessed as obviously this determines target height for the individual. Reasons for the transplant – underlying disorders may change the expected target height, for example certain genetic diseases have short stature and therefore the final height would be less than predicted by mid-parental height. The p...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news