Bone Mineral Density in Children and Adolescents With Prader-Willi Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study During Puberty and 9 Years of Growth Hormone Treatment

Context: Longitudinal data on bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) during long-term GH treatment are not available. Objective: This study aimed to determine effects of long-term GH treatment and puberty on BMD of total body (BMDTB), lumbar spine (BMDLS), and bone mineral apparent density of the lumbar spine (BMADLS) in children with PWS. Design and Setting: This was a prospective longitudinal study of a Dutch PWS cohort. Participants: Seventy-seven children with PWS who remained prepubertal during GH treatment for 4 years and 64 children with PWS who received GH treatment for 9 years participated in the study. Intervention: The children received GH treatment, 1 mg/m2/day (≅0.035 mg/kg/d). Main Outcome Measures: BMDTB, BMDLS, and BMADLS was measured by using the same dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry machine for all annual measurements. Results: In the prepubertal group, BMDTB standard deviation score (SDS) and BMDLSSDS significantly increased during 4 year...