Nutritional Stimulation of Growth in Children With Short Stature Without Growth Hormone Deficiency
Nutritional Stimulation of Growth in Children With Short Stature Without Growth Hormone Deficiency
Short stature is a frequent reason for referral to a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Short
 stature is especially prevalent among those with failure to thrive (whose weight is
 significantly below the average weight of his/her peers). The growth hormone is not an
 effective medical treatment of short stature when the cause of short stature is not growth
 hormone deficiency. This study will investigate the effect of 6 months of nutritional
 supplement (essential amino acids) compared to placebo in the linear growth of short children
 who have not yet reached puberty and confirmed to have normal growth hormone levels.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Ages 3 to 11 years (inclusive).

 -  Must have had normal growth hormone (GH) response (i.e., peak GH concentration ≥10
 ng/mL) to GH provocative tests such as Arginine Insulin Tolerance Test (AITT) or
 Arginine Clonidine Tolerance Test (ACTT).

 -  Pre-pubertal status (i.e. Tanner stage 1 for breast development for girls and
 testicular enlargement for boys and pubic hair for both sexes).

 Exclusion criteria:

 -  Ages younger than 3 years or older than 11 years.

 -  Medical history of a neurologic, endocrinologic, genetic, or metabolic problem known
 to have a direct effect on height growth. This includes, but is not limited to,
 children with Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Russel-Silver syndrome, Prader-Willi
 syndrome, Pseudohypoparathyroidism, chronic kidney disease, malabsorptive syndromes,
 cancer survivors, etc.

 -  Currently being treated or previously treated with Growth hormone, or history of oral
 steroid treatment within the last 3 months.

 -  Being in puberty.