THE GROWTH OF JUVENILE DIABETICS

Abstract

The growth in height of 56 diabetic children with onset of the disease before 15 yrs. of age was studied. All were treated with insulin and most of them received an unlimited fare without sweets. During an observation period averaging 5.3 yrs. a general but not severe retardation of growth was observed, most pronounced in the boys. In 11 definitely retarded diabetics the following factors were believed contributive: a constitutional factor, a low caloric diet requiring small insulin doses, hepatomegaly, hypogonadism of hypophyseal origin, and hypoadrenalcortism of hypophyseal origin in girls. It was concluded that the growth disturbance of diabetic children is largely caused by a lack of insulin and in diabetic boys secondarily by a defective gonadal function.