OBJETIVE: The aim was to assess the effect of atopic asthma on the stature and growth velocity of Brazilian adolescents and children, taking into consideration their socioeconomic conditions, natural disease history and individual growth .METHODS: 66 patients had been seen at the Pneumology, Immunology and Allergy Ambulatory, Unicamp, University Hospital. Their height and weight were measured every 3 months and the bone age was obtained once during this period. The patients were divided into two groups according to their puberal development: prepubertal and puberal .RESULTS: Prepuberal - 40 patients with 0.6 to 1.5 years (1.04±0.19) of follow-up. The mean height/age z-score was 0.028 ± 0.978 and the mean growth velocity z-score was 0.045 ± 1.11. Puberal - 26 patients with 0.5 to 1.3 years (0.99±1.722) of follow-up. The mean height/age z-score was 0.170 ± 1.209 and the mean growth velocity z-score was 0.042 ± 2.321. In the prepuberal group the patients who had one or more pneumonia during the follow-up had lower mean growth velocity z-score than the others (p=0.04).The high dose of glucocorticoids used by puberal patients was considered a risk factor for growth velocity (p=0.02).CONCLUSIONS: The children and adolescents suffering from asthma could grow normally and attain their full genetic potential by treating the disease correctly, controlling infections and having favorable living conditions.
Asthma; Growth; Children; Adolescent
