Physical Growth Dynamics of Children With Juvenile Dermatomyositis

Objective Growth failure is an often overlooked complication of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDMS) hence, the present study analyses the auxological status of adolescent JDMS patients. Methods Sixty serial observations with respect to height, weight, and skinfold thicknesses were made on 35 JDMS children aged 10 to 17 years in the Growth Laboratory/Clinic of the Department following a mixed-longitudinal growth research design. Information with regard to disease duration and disease activity (MMT-8 score) was recorded. Results The mean height and weight of JDMS patients showed a regular increase from 10 to 17 years while BMI depicted an undulating pattern. JDMS boys were taller yet weighed lighter and had lesser sub-cutaneous fat deposition than girls. As compared to their normal counterparts, JDMS children were lighter and shorter, however, JDMS girls caught up and became heavier and taller beyond 12 and 14 years, respectively. Only 4 (6.6%) and 5 (8.33%) of our study subjects were short-statured and underweight, respectively. Disease activity had a significant positive correlation with the physical growth of JDMS boys. Conclusion JDMS boys depicted compromised growth when contrasted with their unaffected counterparts; this may be due to the influence of disease activity on their physical growth. However, better auxological prognosis recorded for JDMS girls beyond 12-13 years reveals that there must be some protective mechanism favoring girls making them resistant to adverse effects of the disease.