Asthma Drug Shown to Stunt Growth
Children Who Use Inhaled Steroids Are Slightly Shorter as Adults
Height Deficit Persisted into Mid-20s
The average age of the study participants was 24 when the latest follow-up was done.
"We showed that the height deficit persisted but it did not progress," says researcher Anne Fuhlbrigge, MD, of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Researcher William Kelly, PharmD, of the University of New Mexico, says it's now clear that some inhaled steroids affect growth more than others, and that treating children with the lowest effective dose can lower risk.
"Parents should ask if their child is taking the appropriate inhaled [steroid] at the appropriate dosage to minimize this risk," he says.