ESPE Abstracts

Background: Bone age (BA) is commonly used in pediatrics to define skeletal maturity for medical and non-medical purposes. Normal range is represented by 2 standard deviations (SDs) above and below the mean. A BA greater than ±2 SDs from the chronological age (CA) is considered abnormal. BA in achondroplasia (ACH) has not been fully characterized; calculation is challenging given difficulties in comparing x-rays with standard radiographs if using the Greuli...

Background: Differences in sexual development (DSD) are rare diagnoses, which affect the chromosomal, anatomical or gonadal sex differentiation. Although comprehensive counseling of patients and parents/carers is necessary to ensure a positive coping with the diagnosis and a well-informed decision-making, standardised programmes are lacking. Empower-DSD is a government-funded project, which developed an age-adapted multidisciplinary education programme to impr...

Objective: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) to assess patency of the Fallopian tubes with the use of iodinated (oil- or water-based) contrast media is a standard test during fertility work-up. An observational study found an increased risk of congenital hypothyroidism in neonates whose mothers were exposed to high amounts of oil-based contrast during HSG. Oil-based contrast contains more iodine (480mg Iodine/ml) than water-based contrast (250mg Iodine/ml). We inves...

Background: Bone growth and mineralization during childhood are now recognized as important for bone health in adulthood, leading to renewed interest in identifying modifiable factors that impact bone mineral density (BMD) in childhood. Emerging data suggest that duration of breastfeeding may affect BMD in later childhood and adult life. However, such data are sparse and inconsistent.Objectives: This study examined the relationship betwe...

Objectives: Abdominal fat has been strongly linked to increased cardiometabolic risk and impaired glucose regulation in adults. Owing to the lack of detailed body composition phenotyping in most previous child cohort studies, the temporal links between abdominal fat accumulation and impaired glucose regulation have not been well established. In this study, we evaluated the associations of abdominal fat assessed by MRI at early infancy (≤21 days after birth) and at 4.5 ye...

Background: Growth patterns in infancy and early childhood have been linked to risks of obesity and cardiometabolic disorders in adulthood. Body fat partitioning, particularly increased fat accumulation at ectopic sites, has been strongly associated with cardiometabolic disorders. However, the lack of precise body composition measures in prior longitudinal birth-cohort studies has made it difficult to ascertain if early growth patterns could result in consolidation of distinct...

Background: Congenital central hypothyroidism (CeH) may occur isolated, or in combination with other pituitary hormone deficiencies. Although a third causative gene for CeH was recently reported (IGSF1), the aetiology of isolated CeH has remained unexplained in most cases.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that in three relatives with unexplained isolated CeH a mutation in another gene might be responsible for the phenotype.<p class="...

Background: ACH, the most common short-limbed skeletal dysplasia, is characterized by defective endochondral ossification resulting from gain-of-function mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene, a negative regulator of endochondral bone formation. Current treatment options are non-targeted, ineffective, or painful interventions aimed at preventing or treating complications. Infigratinib is an orally bioavailable and selective...

Background: ACH is the most common short-limbed skeletal dysplasia, affecting between 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 30,000 live births. Children and adults with ACH have disproportionate short stature, with a final height of approx. 131 cm for males and 124 cm for females. People with ACH are prone to significant co-morbidities, including obstructive sleep apnea, chronic otitis media with conductive hearing loss, spinal stenosis, and a propensity towards obesity. In som...

Introduction: Monogenic defects in the leptin-melanocortin pathway result in hyperphagia and severe, early-onset obesity. Knowledge of the natural history of anthropometric parameters in patients with monogenic obesity is essential for diagnosis. However, reliable data on early childhood weight and height development in affected patients are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the history of height, weight, and BMI development in early childhood in a Europea...