A study of clinical profile of children with short stature

Background: Short stature is one of the common concerns among the Indian children. However, community-based studies in Indian context are rare compared to studies performed in Western countries. Aim: Here, we aimed to study the clinical profile of children with short stature and the different causes of it. Methods: This study was a hospital-based prospective study that included 65 children ?18 years (female: 57%, male: 43%) who met the inclusion criteria. Detailed history, physical examination, anthropometry, laboratory tests, bone age, and chromosomal analysis were included for evaluation. Results: The most common age group affected was 11–15 years (40%) followed by 6–10 years (34%) and <5 years (21.5%). Growth hormone (GH) deficiency (21.4%), followed by malnutrition (18.5%), familial short stature (13.9%), hypothyroidism (10.8%), turner syndrome (10.8%), constitutional delay of growth and puberty (9.2%), systemic diseases (6.2%), and miscellaneous (6.1%) were identified as the common causes of short stature. Conclusion: Commonly observed etiology of short stature was identified in this study. Proportionate and disproportionate short statures were 90.7% and 9.3%, respectively. About 23% of the cases were of physiological short stature and 77% were of pathological short stature.