ESPE Abstracts

Calcium and phosphorus represent the main building material for bone and growth plate mineralization and bone stiffness. The supplier of these bone minerals is the hormone calcitriol, which originates from vitamin D, itself made by sunshine in human skin. Requirement for bone mineral supply is highest during phases of rapid growth, such as during pregnancy, infancy and puberty. The body can be deprived of calcium either through low dietary calcium intake and/or low vitamin D. ...

For decades, the dominant conceptual framework for understanding short and tall stature was centered on the GH-IGF-I axis. However, recent findings in basic molecular and cellular biology and in clinical genetics have uncovered a vast array of other regulatory systems that control skeletal growth and an accompanying vast array of genetic defects outside the GH-IGF-I axis that can cause disorders of linear growth. As a result, the traditional view of short or tall stature that ...

Background: Hematocolpos is a rare condition in young girls that can be caused by imperforated hymen or vaginal agenesis. It is usually diagnosed at early puberty with cyclic abdominal pain and amenorrhoea. Menarche is usually observed two years after the start of puberty; sometimes pre-menarcheal bleeding can occur, ranging from isolated premature menarche to spotting in course of puberty. In case of imperforated hymen or vaginal anomaly, a pre-menarcheal uterine bleeding can...

Congenital adrenal insufficiency is a potentially life-threatening condition that can present soon after birth in many different ways. The classic presentation is a salt-losing crisis due to mineralocorticoid insufficiency, often between a week and two of life, but babies with predominant glucocorticoid insufficiency can present with other features such as prolonged jaundice, hypoglycaemia and hyperpigmentation. Most children with congenital adrenal insufficiency present to em...

Background: Children with different growth disorders need therapy with recombinant human GH. Although mostly therapy leads to good results there are clinical cases when the therapy is not working. One of the reasons is patient’s and patient’s family’s adherence. That’s why it is necessary to explore what are the adherence and its impact on therapy’s outcome. Growth disorders can make an influence to all humans’ life, that’s why if it is possi...

Background: Diabetes insipidus (DI) is characterised clinically by the inappropriate production of large volumes of dilute urine even in the presence of clinical dehydration or deprivation of water. DI occurs either due to a deficiency or insufficiency of arginine vasopressin (AVP) hormone production. Hereditary DI accounts for <10% of the DI cases. As hyponatraemic seizures secondary to inappropriate use of desmopressin can occur, caution is required before a diagnosis of...

Background: The integration of technology in health care has led to improved medical care and better compliance, especially in chronic diseases such as diabetes. Despite these advances, compliance has always been an issue in caring for adolescents with diabetes. Text messaging has become a popular way to communicate with peers especially for teens. Multiple studies support the theory that texting is an easy and affordable resource that health care providers can utilise to educ...

Introduction: Failure to thrive (FTT) is a common entity encountered by pediatricians. It can be caused by inadequate energy intake or “organic causes” such as inborn errors of metabolism or disorders of the endocrine system. One cause that is rarely seen is a deficiency of aldosterone.Case presentation: A set of 3-month-old monozygotic male twins presented with failure to thrive and dehydration. Initially, they were evaluated ...

Recently our 24-hour culture has been identified as another lifestyle factor that can cause type 2 diabetes. Technological and societal advances such as electric lighting and digital screens – leading to light exposure that is too dim during the day and too bright during the evening –, shift work, time zone transfers, and round-the-clock food availability disrupt our intrinsic and evolutionarily preserved 24-hour rhythms resulting in a desynchronization between lig...

Childhood obesity is a chronic disease with detrimental effects on health and wellbeing. Treatment was traditionally focused on reducing caloric intake and increasing energy expenditure. However, considering the global increase in prevalence in obesity, especially in the paediatric age range, this approach is insufficient and transition to new initiatives is needed. Obesity is a complex disease resulting from the interaction of multiple underlying factors, including personal c...