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Short Stature

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Endocrine Conditions in Pediatrics

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Abstract

Linear growth trends in childhood should be closely monitored as they reflect overall health. The vast majority of children with short stature have normal variants of growth such as familial short stature or constitutional delay of growth and puberty; however, short stature, especially when accompanied by a slow growth velocity, may signify a serious illness. Pathological causes include genetic syndromes, chronic systemic illness, intrinsic growth plate abnormalities, and endocrine conditions such as hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency. The evaluation of children with short stature involves a history and physical examination, followed by laboratory and ancillary evaluation. It is essential to identify those children with concerning features who require urgent evaluation and referral to pediatric endocrinology. Timely referral is crucial for early intervention, if warranted, as growth occurs within a limited time window, the end of which correlates with the completion of puberty and culminates with fusion of the growth plates.

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Abbreviations

AHO:

Albright hereditary osteodystrophy

ALS:

Acid labile subunit

BMI:

Body mass index

CDC:

Centers for Disease Control

CDGP:

Constitutional delay of growth and puberty

CF:

Cystic fibrosis

CNS:

Central nervous system

CRP:

C-reactive protein

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

FSS:

Familial short stature

GH:

Growth hormone

GHD:

Growth hormone deficiency

GV:

Growth velocity

IBD:

Inflammatory bowel disease

IgA:

Immunoglobulin A

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor-1

ISS:

Idiopathic short stature

MAP:

Mitogen-activated protein

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

ONH:

Optic nerve hypoplasia

PAH:

Predicted adult height

PSIS:

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome

PTH:

Parathyroid hormone

PWS:

Prader–Willi syndrome

SDS:

Standard deviation score

SGA:

Small for gestational age

SHOX:

Short stature homeobox-containing gene on the X-chromosome

SRS:

Silver–Russell syndrome

TS:

Turner syndrome

TSH:

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Center, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Monica Serrano-Gonzalez

Authors
  1. Monica Serrano-Gonzalez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Monica Serrano-Gonzalez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Takara Stanley

  2. Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Madhusmita Misra

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Serrano-Gonzalez, M. (2021). Short Stature. In: Stanley, T., Misra, M. (eds) Endocrine Conditions in Pediatrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52215-5_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52215-5_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-52214-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-52215-5

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