Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of glucocorticoid therapy on the growth and development of children with bronchiolitis. METHODS: A total of 143 children with bronchiolitis who were treated with glucocorticoids from February 2017 to March 2018 were enrolled. The medical data were retrospectively collected, including height, weight, course of the disease, and diagnosis and treatment plan at initial admission. After three years of treatment, physical development indices were measured, growth and development were evaluated by Z-score, and related hematological parameters were measured, including osteocalcin, serum phosphorus, and insulin-like growth factor-1. RESULTS: As for the children with bronchiolitis, the incidence rates of growth retardation and obesity increased significantly after three years of glucocorticoid therapy (P<0.05). The children treated with glucocorticoids for ≥29 days showed a significantly higher incidence rate of obesity than those treated with glucocorticoids for <29 days (P<0.05), while nebulized glucocorticoid treatment had no effect on the growth and development (P>0.05). Compared with the children with growth retardation, the children with normal development had significantly higher levels of serum phosphorus and insulin-like growth factor-1 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Glucocorticoid therapy can adversely affect long-term growth and development in children with bronchiolitis.