Effect of prolonged clonidine administration on growth hormone concentrations and rate of linear growth in children with constitutional growth delay.

Sixteen prepubertal children with constitutional growth delay (10 boys and six girls, mean age 7.2 +/- 2.1 years) were administered a daily dose of clonidine (0.15 mg/m2) for a period of 1 year. Growth hormone levels, plasma somatomedin C, and linear growth rate were significantly increased at the end of the treatment. Six of the children maintained the higher growth rate even 6 months after treatment. These and other studies suggest that prolonged stimulation of the hypothalamus by clonidine may ameliorate the impairment of growth hormone release seen in some children with constitutional growth delay. Because of the low cost and the convenience of the oral route, administration of clonidine could be a mode of treatment in some children with poor growth.