Adult height in paediatric patients with chronic renal failure.

Abstract

Forty-nine paediatric patients at different stages of chronic renal failure were followed until adult height was attained. Mean age at completion of growth was close to normal. Adult height was evaluated against population-specific standards. It was less than 2 SD under the mean in two of 18 patients on conservative treatment, five of 18 during dialysis and none of 13 after transplantation, but correlation with mode of treatment did not reach significance. These findings contradict previous data stating that most of these children become small adults. Although analysis of the data suggests that many children with renal failure remain below their genetic potential of growth, final stunting appears infrequent.