Corticosteroid asthma drugs suppress child growth

Common corticosteroid asthma inhalers that are used by hundreds of thousands of children curtail growth by around half a centimetre, according to a major review.

 Two new reviews concentrating on the effects of inhaled corticosteroid drugs (ICS) that are given by inhalers to kids suffering from asthma, on growth rates discovered children's growth slowed down in the first year of treatment, though the effects were reduced by using lower doses.

It must be noted that inhaled corticosteroids are given as first-line treatments for children and adults suffering from persistent asthma.

Inhaled corticosteroids are considered the most effective medicines for controlling asthma. They tend to reduce the number and severity of exacerbations, hospital visits, asthma deaths and improve quality of life, however their effect on the growth of kids is a matter of concern for doctors and parents.

The first review concentrated on 25 trials involving 8,471 children up to 18 years old with mild to moderate persistent asthma. The trials examined all available inhaled corticosteroids and demonstrated that, as a group, they inhibited growth rates when compared to placebos or non-steroidal drugs.

Moreover, around 14 of the trials, involving 5,717 children, showed growth over a year. The average growth rate, which was 6-9cm per year in control groups, was reduced by approximately 0.5 cm in treatment groups.

On the other hand, in the second review, the authors studied data from 22 trials in which children were treated with low or medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids. The trials examined different doses of all drugs.

It was found that only 3 trials followed 728 children for a year or more, with one of these trials examining 3 different dosing regimens. In the 3 trials, using lower doses of inhaled corticosteroids, by around 1 puff per day, improved growth by a quarter of a centimetre at one year.

However, additional long term trials and trials equating different doses are required, especially in kids suffering from severe asthma needing higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids, the authors said.

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