[Growth assessment in children with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) - preliminary results].

In 28 children aged 2.3-12 years born with birth weight less than -2 SD for gestational age we assessed growth according to birth weight and height, duration of gestation, mid- parental height, and somatotropic axis. All children were subjected to auxological evaluation every 3 months. The assessment included changes of height for chronological age standard deviation score (DeltaH SDS CA), height for bone age (DeltaH SDS BA), growth velocity (GV SDS) and height - mid-parental height (H SDS-MPH SDS). We observed a significant growth improvement in children with lower birth weight (r=-0.5, p<0.0059), a positive correlation between IGF-1 level and catch -up growth (DeltaH SDS CA) (r=0.5, p<0.048) and maximum GH level (stimulation test) and growth velocity (GV SDS) (r=0.8, p<0.01). These data suggest that children with lower IGF-1 and GH levels, as well as birth weight within -2 SDS could be treated with growth hormone. However, this theory requires further evaluation.