Parathyroid hormone infusion test in children and adolescents.

10 children with short stature were infused with parathyroid hormone (PTH). The results were compared to those obtained from a study of 28 normal adult volunteers. As expected, the children had higher basal serum phosphorus levels than the adults. PTH administration increased urinary excretion of cyclic AMP, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, phosphate clearance, and reabsorption of calcium. The responses of the children were indistinguishable from those of the adults. Infusion of PTH to 3 children with hypoparathyroidism produced exaggerated cyclic AMP, phosphate, calcium, potassium, and bicarbonate responses. When given to a patient with pseudohypoparathyroidism, it did not increase urinary excretion of cyclic AMP and potassium or phosphate clearance, but did induce normal sodium and bicarbonate excretion. We conclude that the values obtained from normal adults are applicable to children and are useful in the evaluation of hypocalcemia in childhood.