ESPE Abstracts

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a rare, heterogeneous disease with a transient, recurrent or persistent course. Transient CHI (tCHI) is considered to be caused by non-genetic risk factors e.g. birth asphyxia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), while persistent hyperinsulinism is known to be caused by mutations in at least nine genes: ABCC8, KCNJ11, GLUD1, GCK, HADH, SLC16A1, HNF4A, HNF1A and UCP2.Objective and hy...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in Central Precocious Puberty(CPP) has been observed worldwide. The reasons for this phenomenon are yet unclear. In order to evaluate if fear, stress and coping strategies used by children and parents when dealing with negative emotional situations and health issues might have acted as triggers for this phenomenon, we administered specific questionnaires to girls who had a diagnosis of CPP before and after the COVID-19 relat...

Objectives: No validated achondroplasia (ACH)-specific patient reported outcome (PRO) or clinician-reported outcome (ClinRO) measures are available. A detailed review of generic PRO and ClinRO measures was performed to select relevant tools for further evaluation in a qualitative study.Methods: Published literature describing medical challenges and impacts among children with ACH was reviewed to identify important concep...

Background: Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their parents need personalized i) information about the disease and glucose homeostasis and ii) knowledge and guidelines about diet and insulin therapy.Objectives: To set a complete educational program that allows children with T1D to improve disease management and daily life.Methods: Education modules were written and trained with children and parents at outpatient visits. Each ...

Background: Emotional and behavioural problems are often used in support of GnRH agonists therapy in girls with early pubertal timing. However, there is little evidence to show that CPP leads to psychological distress and whether treatment is associated with improved psychological outcome.Objective and hypotheses: The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the psychosocial impact of ICPP in recently diagnosed girls.Meth...

Differences of sex development (DSD) occur in about 1 in 3000 newborns in Switzerland. The indication and timing of genitoplasty in children with DSDs is a complex issue. In 2012 the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics published its position against early irreversible interventions in order to "normalize" the aspect of the external genitalia.We report the case of a child with a 46,XX DSD due to a classical form of congenital a...

Context: Neonatal hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Severe forms of CHI, caused by autosomal recessive variants in KATP channel subunit genes (ABCC8, KCNJ11), are more prevalent in regions with high consanguinity. These regions also have a high neonatal mortality rate with many deaths remaining unexplained.Patients and Methods: We analyze...

Background: Rett Syndrome (RS) is a disabling condition due to mutations in MECP2. Girls affected with RS are at risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures at a young age because of their lack of mobility and though a direct effect of MECP2 on bone mineralization. In these girls, bone fragility inflicts pain and may seriously impair the quality of life.Objective: To retrospectively assess the effect of pamidronate on fractures, bone mineral density (B...

Background: Many children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are asked to measure blood glucose (BG) 4–6 times a day routinely to adjust insulin dosages. There is no evidence though that such high frequency is beneficial to HbA1C or glycemic profile, although this is often claimed.Objectives: We challenged ‘the more BG measurements, the better control’ dogma for alleviation of T1D burden in child life and evaluation of HbA1C.<p class="abstext"...

Introduction: Linear growth is a complex process involving the interplay of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Current knowledge sheds importance to the GH-IGF-1 axis, chondrocyte regulation and extra-cellular matrix in the growth plate, and other fundamental intracellular processes. Despite these advancements, the genetics of short stature are not fully understood. This study aims to contribute by investigating a unique cohort of children from co...