Standards for growth and final height in Turner's syndrome.

Abstract

Data on birth, growth and final height were collected retrospectively for 78 women with Turner's syndrome born 1955-66. Seventy-one had received estrogen treatment from a mean age of 17.7 years (SD = 2.0 years), while 7 were spontaneously menstruating. At birth Turner girls were 440 g lighter (p less than 0.001) and 1.4 cm shorter (p less than 0.001) than 46,XX girls. Standards for untreated growth were established for the age period 6.5-17.5 years, while growth after 17.5 years was described in both untreated and estrogen treated women. Analysis of growth pattern showed that though no pubertal growth spurt was present, the steady decrease of height velocity (HV) was interrupted at the age of 9 years. HV was then constant until 12 years of age, whereafter it slowly decreased. Mean final height (FH) was 146.8 cm (SD = 5.8 cm, n = 76) compared to 166.8 cm in the general female population. No difference was found between 45,X women and women with other karyotypes (p greater than 0.7). Correlations between FH and parental heights, birthweight and birthlength were similar to those reported for normal women (19). FH varied with age at diagnosis. Those diagnosed after 17 years of age had a mean FH = 151.3 cm, while those diagnosed before had a mean FH = 145.8 cm (p less than 0.001).