Reversible growth failure among Hispanic children: instances of psychosocial short stature

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial short stature (PSS), is the only known variant of reversible growth hormone deficiency (GHD)-like state. Herein we present three cases of Puerto Rican children with PSS, which will aid the uninitiated to the entity and assist in making the appropriate diagnosis. All of them demonstrated catch up growth and reversible GHD state as determined by increased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) production and growth hormone secretion after pharmacologic stimulation. METHODS: Three boys ages 4.5 to 15.5 years were evaluated because of poor growth at the University Pediatric Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Medical evaluation excluded organic causes for growth failure. Psychosocial evaluation revealed the presence of repeated instances of psychological abuse by caretakers and the subjects demonstrated patterns of bizarre behavior. These findings prompted evaluation toward the possibility of PSS. The three children were removed from their caretakers' homes and placed in foster nurturing environments. RESULTS: Once relocated, the three children were able to demonstrate marked weight gain, growth acceleration, and improved social behavior. These changes were accompanied by biochemical evidence of GH-axis recovery as determined by the augmented insulin-like growth factor 1 levels and GH secretion. They have continued thriving at their foster homes. These results were felt to be compatible with PSS Type 2. CONCLUSION: We conclude that infants and children with growth failure without apparent organic cause, should be suspected of having PSS. Early relocation is critical for a successful outcome.

Incidence of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Puerto Rico: the University Pediatric Hospital experience

The incidence of newly-diagnosed Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in a pediatric population has been found to increase with colder seasons in countries at latitudes where a marked weather change presumably triggers a higher prevalence of viral infections (especially respiratory), that may induce an insulitis which could be etiologically related with IDDM. In order to assess whether the apposite is true for a country with rather uniform climate, like Puerto Rico, we have studied the seasonal pattern of newly diagnosed IDDM seen at our institution during a 10 year period (1973-1982). also, recent reports on a higher mortality from diabetes in Puerto Rico going from 16.6 in 1977 to 31.0 in 1983, prompted us to look at a possible secular trend of increasing incidence of IDDM. There were a total of 269 new cases of IDDM or 27 cases/year, with standard deviation (SD) of ñ 5.3, range 18 to 33, and no secular trend at all. Sex distribution was quite variable, having male: female (m/f) ratios from 1:2 to 3:1, and an over-all m/f of 13.3/13.6. Incidence of IDDM per month of year went from a low of 1.7 for April and November to a high of 3.0 for March and 2.9 for September, 2.8 for October, with a mean of 2.21 ñ 0.48 cases/month. Again, no significant seasonal differences were noted. Mean incidence for our "cold" months (November to April was 2.25/month; for our "hot" seson (May to October) was 2.3/month; for our "rainy" season (July to December) 2.3 and for our "dry" season (January to April) 2.3/month. Thus, it appears that there are no such seasonal trends of IDDM In Puerto Rico