Euthyroid sick syndrome in meningococcal sepsis: the impact of peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism and binding proteins.

Context And Objectives: The objective of this study was to elucidate the influence of disease severity, deiodination, sulfation, thyroid hormone binding, and dopamine use on thyroid function in euthyroid sick syndrome.

Setting: The study was performed at a university-affiliated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Design: This was an observational cohort study.

Head circumference and body proportions before and during growth hormone treatment in short children who were born small for gestational age.

Objective: Although short children who were born small for gestational age (SGA) seem to have normal body proportions, objective data both before and during growth hormone (GH) treatment are very limited. Therefore, we investigated in a large group of short children who were born SGA the effects of GH treatment versus no treatment on head circumference (HC) and body proportions. Furthermore, we studied differences in linear growth and HC between SGA children who were born with a low birth length and birth weight (SGA(L+W)) and SGA children who were born with a low birth length only (SGA(L)).

Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels and pubarche in short children born small for gestational age before and during growth hormone treatment.

It has been suggested that the programming of the endocrine axes occurs during critical phases of fetal development and will be affected by intrauterine growth retardation. As a result, children born small for gestational age (SGA) might have several hormonal disturbances. In later life, one of the questions that might arise is: Do short children born SGA have higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels than their peers? Therefore, we compared serum DHEAS levels of 181 short prepubertal children aged 3-9 yr born SGA [birth length (SD score) below -2 for gestational age] with a control group of 170 prepubertal age-matched, normal-statured children born appropriate for gestational age (birth length between -2 and +2 SD score).