Growth retardation is commonly experienced by children who undergo long-term treatment with glucocorticoids (GC). Whereas most disorders requiring systemic pharmacotherapy (e.g., organ transplantation, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid diseases, severe asthma) are relatively rare, the expanding use of inhaled GC preparations for the treatment of mild-to-moderate asthma has greatly increased the numbers of children chronically exposed to exogenous GC. Consequently, physicians caring for children are likely to encounter GC-treated patients in whom linear growth must be carefully monitored and GC-induced growth failure recognized. This article reviews the pathophysiology of the effects of GC on growth, current information about the endocrinologic effects of inhaled corticosteroid therapy in children with asthma, and preliminary investigations into reversal of GC-induced growth failure with human growth hormone (GH) therapy.