Summary of bones and glucocorticosteroids in children
| No studies have reported any statistically significant increased risk of fractures in children taking inhaled glucocorticosteroids |
| Oral or systemic glucocorticosteroid use increases the risk of fracture. The risk of fracture increases along with the number of treatments, with a 32% increase at four courses ever. Use of inhaled glucocorticosteroids reduces the need for systemic courses |
| Controlled longitudinal studies of 2–5 yrs’ duration and several cross-sectional studies found no adverse effects of inhaled glucocorticosteroid treatment on bone mineral density |
| No prospective studies have followed children on inhaled glucocorticosteroid treatment until peak bone mineral density has been reached |