It has been confirmed that social distancing and enhanced personal hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic reduced the incidence of infectious diseases, thereby contributing to increased safety in growth hormone therapy for children with short stature.

Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital said on Friday that a research team led by Professor Kim Yoo-mi of the Department of Pediatrics studied 2,827 children with short stature from 2017 to 2023. The researchers distinguished between the pre-pandemic period (2017–2020) and the pandemic period (2020–2023) to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on growth hormone therapy for children with short stature.

Analysis showed that growth hormone therapy remained consistently effective during the pandemic period, with the improvement in growth velocity (Height-SDS) particularly sustained. Moreover, the body mass index (BMI) of patients was significantly higher during the pandemic period, while the incidence of reported side effects decreased substantially during the same timeframe.

The researchers attributed this to social distancing and strict personal hygiene management, which may have contributed to a reduction in the occurrence of infectious diseases, thereby enhancing the safety of growth hormone therapy.

“This study confirmed that the effectiveness of growth hormone therapy for pediatric patients in Korea was stably maintained even under limited medical access due to Covid-19,” Professor Kim said. “We expect this to provide important evidence for establishing a sustainable chronic disease management system even during future national infectious disease crises.”

The study involved collaborative research by Professor Kim and Professor Lim Han-hyuk of the Department of Pediatrics at Chungnam National University Hospital, along with professors and specialists from pediatric endocrinology departments at university hospitals in the central region, including Chungbuk National University Hospital, Dankook University Hospital, and Konyang University Hospital.