Effects of Inhaled Corticosteroids on Growth of Asthmatic Children in Srinagarind Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of inhaled cortiocosteroids on the growth of asthmatic children.

Study design: A retrospective descriptive study.

Setting : Srinagarind Hospital.

Subjects : Asthmatic children aged 1 to 10 years who received inhale corticosteroid at least 1 year.

Main outcome measures : Body weight and height compared with the standard growth chart for Thais.

Results : A total of 158 children were enrolled in this study  91 boys and 67 grils.  The mean age at onset of the disease was 3 years and 8 months + 2 years and 1 month (SD).  Forty-one percent of the cases had mildly persistent symptoms, while 58% had moereately so and 1% severely so.  Most (93%) of the patients received (800 mg/d of  beclomethasone dipropionate and the remainder (7%) received > 800 mg/d.  Seventy-six percent of all cases received medication 1 to 3 years and 24% received more than 3 years. Before taking inhaled steroid, 88.6% (140/158) and 93% (147/158) had normal height and weight, respectively.  After taking medications in the normal growth group, only 2 patients (1.3%) and one patient (0.6%) had below normal height and weight. In contrast the abnormal growth group, 10 patients (6.3%) and 6 patients (3.8%) could catch up their height and weight to normal respectively.  Only 8(5.1%) and 5(3.2%) still had height and weight below normal. 13% of all cases who could stop the medications because of symptom free, still maintained their normal growth throughout the follow-up period.

Conclusion: Asthmatic children receiving low and medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids, had a normal height and weight compared to the standard Thai growth chart. In those whose height and weight were below normal-before taking the inhaled corticosteroids-some experienced an increase in their height and weight to within the normal range after being on the treatment.

Keywords : asthmatic children, inhaled corticosteriod, growth