Chien-Wen Yang a, b, Yu-Hsun Chang a, Chia-Hsiang Chu a, Shao-Yin Chu a, b, c
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
bDepartment of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
cDepartment of Medical Education, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
Abstract
Objective
To study the etiology of short stature in children in eastern Taiwan.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included patients referred to Hualien Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital for evaluation of short stature from 2002 to 2008. Data were collected from medical records, and included body height and weight by percentile, maternal history, birth history, past medical history, relevant hematological and biochemical investigations, urinalysis, levels of growth and thyroid hormones, bone age, and genetic study.
Results
A total of 139 children were enrolled. Sixty (43.2%) were classified as having idiopathic short stature, 48 (34.5%) were attributed to underlying disease such as gastrointestinal disorder or chronic illness, 14 (10.1%) had been small for gestational age at birth and their growth had not caught up with that of their peers, 11 (7.9%) were diagnosed with familial short stature, and 6 (4.3%) were diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.
Conclusion
Idiopathic short stature was the most common etiology of short stature in children in eastern Taiwan. The incidence of short stature attributed to underlying disease seems to be higher than in other areas of Taiwan. The percentage of small-for-gestational-age children without catch-up growth was also higher in eastern Taiwan than in other areas.
Keywords
Eastern Taiwan; Etiology; Short stature
