Asthma medications ‘could stunt growth’

By Caribbean Medical News Staff
Infants who are given asthma medication before the age of two may not grow to their full height in later life, a preliminary report suggests. The study of twelve thousand Finnish toddlers found that, on average, those who used inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) long-term showed signs of stunted growth. Previous research has suggested a link with growth suppression.
Specialists said the study was a reminder that steroids should be used with caution in pre-school children. Yet, Asthma UK said inhaled corticosteroids played a vital role in controlling asthma symptoms and reducing trips to hospital for young children.
The results were presented at the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology conference.
Alarmingly, one in 11 children in the UK has asthma, making it the most common long-term medical condition among children. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are strong medications commonly found in inhalers, used to treat asthma in adults and recurrent wheezing in children – but they are known to have side-effects in some individuals.
In light of these recent discoveries, guidelines for General Practitioners recommend that all children taking inhaled steroids for asthma should have their height and weight checked every year for any signs of stunted growth.
Head researcher Dr Antti Saari, from the University of Eastern Finland, said his team had analysed information on the height of the children’s parents, as well as data on the children’s weight and asthma medicine, to calculate expected height and growth.
He found an association which, if permanent, could lead to around 3cm of decreased adult height. He stressed: “It is important that doctors think twice whether these steroids are needed or not in this age group.”
Jonathan Grigg, honorary medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation and professor of paediatric respiratory medicine at Queen Mary University London, expressed that treating very young children who were wheezing was not simple.
“We haven’t worked out who responds to steroid treatment in this group. In young pre-school children who wheeze, it is unclear which ones should be targeted with steroids. Many grow out of asthma and won’t need further treatment,” he said.
Grigg suggests that a larger study of diverse groups of younger children was necessary in order to support these findings.