New RSS article by Stanhope

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone - Can I just start by saying I really don't like the new

yahoogroups screen? I liked being able to see about 40 email

subject headers on a page, and it would highlight which ones I had

already read! Anyway, on to the good news.

Stanhope mailed me a copy of an article he coauthored but

before it was published -- the good news is that I got the go-ahead

to let you know that it is now officially published in

the " International Growth Monitor " , Vol. 15, No. 1, 2005. I will

get it into the MAGIC library after I get back from vacation.

It is titled " -Silver syndrome as an indication for growth

hormone therapy. "

The first couple of pages are more of an overview, nothing new

there. Then under " RSS and GH Treatment " they list " ...specific

factors applicable to the treatment of RSS children with GH that

differ from those for children with non-dysmorphic IUGR. Factors

that should be taken into consideration are as follows:

* Adequate Caloric Intake: This should be the first step in

managing poor growth in RSS patients. GH treatment should be

considered only if adequate caloric intake does not provide catch-up

growth. " (and then the article goes on).

After at least 5 years of Madeleine Harbison banging her drum saying

that GH will not work without adequate caloric intake -- as she

says " kids don't grow on air " , finally someone who has the power to

get published finally writes the same thing (for those who don't

know, came to the US for the last two summers to our MAGIC

convention and really got along with Madeleine, sharing viewpoints

and debating their differences.

Anyway. There are other things that Stanhope talks about in the

article -- one new thing is that they are recommending TWO GH shots

a day (every 12 hours) especially for kids with hypoglycemia.

I have explained to that my concern with this idea is that

the compliance rate for GH injections would most likely decrease

substantially. So many parents have already admitted to Katy and I

that they forget or skip upwards of 10% of nightly shots. Now add

to it that you have to give your kid a second shot every morning....

Anyway. More later. But the good news is that we now have a

reknowned endocrinologist, someone extremely published in RSS/SGA

studies, saying the same thing Harbison is saying in the US --

caloric intake has to be the #1 priority for RSS kids ... BEFORE GHT

can be started.

Jenn