A high percentage of Greek children with homozygous b-thalassemia were short and had a lag in growth, though some severely affected attained normal height. Bone age lagged significantly behind the chronologic age, even in those with normal height for their age.
A longitudinal study demonstrated an initial normal growth velocity which decreased after the age of six for males and eight for females. No patient had a spurt of growth at adolescence. Height gain continued up to the age of 21 and then ceased.
Statistical analysis with a multiple regression equation showed a significant relationship between the age and height of the patients. Low hemoglobin levels and severity of the disease seemed to hinder normal growth, but neither relationship was statistically significant.
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