The following is a summary of “Growth After Menarche in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” published in the February 2023 issue of Gastroenterology and Nutrition by Salguero, et al.
Pediatric onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients’ growth limitation is complex. There are few studies on how adult stature in the population is related to age at menarche. For a study, menarchal age, disease-related variables, and mid-parental height were examined by researchers in relation to growth from menarche to final height (FHt) in young patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and unclassified IBD (IBD-U).
When IBD occurred before menarche, subjects were selected from a pediatric IBD database that was prospectively maintained, and the dates of menarche and FHt measurements were noted.
Patients with CD 112 and UC 30/IBD-U 4 comprised 156. Menarche (14.4 vs. 14.0), the mean age (years) at diagnosis (10.9 vs. 10.1), and FHt (19.6 vs 19.7). Chronological age (CA) at menarche and FHt (cm, P< 0.001) were significantly correlated in CD and UC/IBD-U patients, but not FHt z score (FHt-Z)< -1.0 (P = 0.42); In 5 cases, the FHt-Z value was <2.0. Hospitalization for CD (P = 0.03) but not UC, recurrent corticosteroid, or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy were associated with growth impairment (FHt-Z< -1.0), jejunal disease (P = 0.003), low mid-parental height z score (MPH-Z) (P< 0.001), surgery before menarche (P = 0.03).
Early menarche age was linked to a higher chance of linear progression to FHt but not FHt-Z (P< 0.05). However, surgery performed before menarche, jejunal illness, CD hospitalization, low MPH, and weight z score were linked to FHt-Z <-1.0.
Reference: journals.lww.com/jpgn/Abstract/2023/02000/Growth_After_Menarche_in_Pediatric_Inflammatory.15.aspx