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Indications for DXA in Children and Adolescents

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Bone Health Assessment in Pediatrics

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Abstract

The importance of considering pediatric bone health for osteoporosis prevention is well established. Genetic factors, malnutrition, hormonal disorders, medications, immobilization, and chronic illness during childhood and adolescence may compromise bone size, mineral content accrual, and bone quality. If not reversed, the accrual of peak bone mass may be impaired, thereby increasing the lifetime risk for osteoporotic fracture. Given the widespread availability, speed, high precision, and safety of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), there is abundant research to inform its clinical use in pediatrics. This chapter reviews the current evidence and expert opinion regarding which children and adolescents warrant DXA screening, how often these studies should be repeated, and how the results should be used to guide clinical management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisions of Adolescent Medicine and Endocrinology, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Sarah Pitts M.D.

  2. Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Catherine M. Gordon M.D., M.Sc.

Authors
  1. Sarah Pitts M.D.
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  2. Catherine M. Gordon M.D., M.Sc.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Pitts M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, USA

    Ellen B. Fung

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Laura K. Bachrach

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Aenor J. Sawyer

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Pitts, S., Gordon, C.M. (2016). Indications for DXA in Children and Adolescents. In: Fung, E., Bachrach, L., Sawyer, A. (eds) Bone Health Assessment in Pediatrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30412-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30412-0_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30410-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30412-0

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