Does Use of Inhaled Corticosteroid for Management of Asthma in Children Make Them Shorter Adults?

Hengameh H. Raissy, PharmD corresponding author

and Kathryn Blake, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP

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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to discuss the effect of daily inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) on the height of children with asthma. The effect of ICSs on growth and height is dependent on the dose and the therapeutic index of the ICS; however, the effect on final adult height was not clear until recently. New data suggest that if growth suppression occurs with the use of ICSs in children, it is sustained, but not cumulative over the years. The observed reduction in the final adult height is small and does not outweigh the benefits of ICSs, and the growth effect may be minimized by use of newer ICSs and other approaches for management of asthma in children with mild to moderate asthma.

Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

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July 5, 2013