Constitutional Growth Delay

Excerpt

Constitutional growth delay can result from several factors that result in short stature. Also, short stature can occur with different diseases, none the less, the definition of short stature is the same for both conditions; two standard deviations or more below the mean for children of that same-sex and chronologic age. Ideally, this should be matched to people of the same race as well, as stature variates depending on ethnic group. In some cases, short stature may be just part of the normal growth of the individual.

Familial (genetic) and constitutional are by far the most common causes of short stature and delay, which are benign, but the workup is done to identify those at risk of other more severe and probably treatable diseases (GH deficiency or idiopathic short stature (ISS). Early in childhood one of the most common causes is FFT.