[Effects of clonidine++ administration in children with familial short stature and retarded body growth]. / Efectos de la administración de clonidina en niños con talla baja familiar y retardo constitucional del crecimiento.

The effect of chronic clonidine administration on the height velocity of two groups of children with short stature either familial (FSS) or with constitutional growth delay (CGD) is presented. The patients whose age ranged between 5 to 12 years had a height below the third percentile; otherwise they were healthy. Both groups received 100 micrograms/m2 of clonidine orally during 12 months. In the group with FSS there was an increase in height velocity from 3.6 +/- 0.6 cm/years pretreatment values to 5.1 +/- 0.9 cm/years. The group with CGD showed an increase from 3.6 +/- 0.7 cm/years to 6.5 +/- 3.4. No secondary reactions were observed. The possible impact of this treatment on final height is discussed.