Clonidine accelerates growth in children with impaired growth-hormone secretion

4 children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) and 4 with constitutional growth delay (CGD) were treated with clonidine, 0·1 mg/m2 daily, for 60 days. In 2 children with IGHD and all 4 with CGD, basal growth hormone (GH) and somatomedin-C levels were increased, pituitary GH response to challenges with a synthetic pancreatic GH releasing factor and clonidine was enhanced, and linear growth was stimulated.