In order to determine whether or not there was a relationship between disorders ofgrowth in children suffering from asthma and either increased resting energy expenditure or inadequate energy intake, a group of 34 children suffering from perennial symptoms were studied. A control group matched with the asthmatic children for sex and fat free mass were similarly studied.The children kept seven day records of weighed food intake. Basal metabolic rate was measured on one occasion in the fasted state by means of indirect calorimetry using the ventilated hood technique. The asthmatic children kept a 28 day record ofpeak expiratory flow rates, asthma symptoms, and medication usage.The asthmatic children expended significantly more energy at rest than their matched controls in absolute terms (14%). There was no correlation between height or height SD score and any parameter of energy balance. The causes of these finding are as yet speculative.

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Overnight urine samples were obtained from 34 asthmatic children, 24 of whom were receiving inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), and 30 controls. The urine volume of the children receiving inhaled steroids was significantly greater than that of the other asthmatic children and of the controls (P < 0.05). Urine growth hormone was within the normal range for all of the subjects and there was no demonstrable relationship between urine growth hormone and height or height standard deviation score. Urine steroid output was significantly reduced in the BDP receiving group when the results were expressed in U l-1 but there was no difference between the groups when the results were expressed per specimen. Urine adenosine 3' 5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) results were similar for all groups. We conclude that use of BDP increases overnight urine volume but, in our study, does not appear to influence the output of urine cortisol. Urine free cortisol measurements may not be a very sensitive tool for the detection of small changes in endogenous steroid production. The use of BDP does not adversely affect the output of urine growth hormone.