Growth retardation is common in children with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). Now that dialysis and renal transplantation (TX) have become life sustaining, permanent stunted growth and adult short stature often occurs. Thus, efforts to enhance growth using recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) have been undertaken in three groups of patients: chronic renal failure (CRF) prior to dialysis; end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on some form of dialysis; and following TX (post-TX) in whom growth retardation persists. Our initial study was in CRF. Eleven males, ages 2.5-16.3 years, with height standard deviation scores (SDS) of > 2.0 below the mean, have been treated with rhGH for 18-48 months. rhGH was started in a dose of 0.125 mg/kg three times a week in the first 8 patients and subsequently changed to daily dosing (0.053 mg/kg/day) within the first 24 months. To date, overall, growth velocity (GV) increased from 5.4 +/- 2.2 to 8.9 +/- 1.6, 7.5 +/- 1.8, 7.5 +/- 1.6 and 6.9 +/- 0.9 cm/year in those completing 12 (n = 11), 24 (n = 9), 36 (n = 7), and 48 (n = 3) months. The mean height SDS increased from > 3.0 to < 1.5 below the mean with 1 patient reaching the 50th centile. Dialysis was initiated in 2 patients, a frequency not different from that expected over time in children with this degree of CRF. In the others, calculated creatinine clearance did not change, and no significant adverse effects were noted as a consequence of the rhGH treatment. Thus, rhGH increases GV and facilitates catch-up growth in CRF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)