Guidelines for Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Treatment in Children and Adolescents: Growth Hormone Deficiency, Idiopathic Short Stature, and Primary Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Deficiency.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: On behalf of the Drug and Therapeutics, and Ethics Committees of the Pediatric Endocrine Society, we sought to update the guidelines published in 2003 on the use of growth hormone (GH). Because idiopathic short stature (ISS) remains a controversial indication, and diagnostic challenges often blur the distinction between ISS, GH deficiency (GHD), and primary IGF-I deficiency (PIGFD), we focused on these three diagnoses, thereby adding recombinant IGF-I therapy to the GH guidelines for the first time.

METHODS: This guideline was developed following the GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation).

RESULTS: This guideline provides recommendations for the clinical management of children and adolescents with growth failure from GHD, ISS, or PIGFD using the best available evidence.

CONCLUSION: The taskforce suggests that the recommendations be applied in clinical practice with consideration of the evolving literature and the risks and benefits to each individual patient. In many instances, careful review highlights areas that need further research.