Many chronic or recurrent illnesses are known to have an adverse effect on the growth of children.1-3This growth inhibition, though possibly related in part to such nonspecific factors as nutrition and physical activity, appears to depend primarily on the type and severity of the particular disorder.4-7 Several studies have indicated that a significant number of children with asthma fail to grow adequately when the disease is active but may show a "growth repair" when symptoms subside.8-10A very marked retardation of growth has been observed among children with intractable asthma in residence at the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital (CARIH) in Denver.11,12A four-year study of 302 patients at CARIH revealed that 20% of these children were under the third percentile or three to six standard deviations below the mean for their age and sex. During an 18-to 24-month stay at the Institute, those