children s health issues
Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children
Treatment of Growth Hormone Deficiency
Replacement of growth hormone Sometimes replacement of other hormones Children are given injections of synthetic growth hormone. Injections traditionally are given once a day, but a newer form of growth hormone is injected once a week. The hormones are given until children reach an acceptable height or until children do not grow more than 1 inch (about 2.5 centimeters) in a year. During the first year of treatment, children may grow up to 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12 centimeters), but individual responses vary. Children do not usually have side effects from growth hormone therapy, although some develop mild swelling of the limbs that usually resolves quickly or infrequently develop more serious side effects such as increased pressure in the brain ( Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension or a problem in the upper thigh bone that can show up as knee or hip pain or limping ( Growth hormone also may be used to increase height in children who are short but have normally functioning pituitary glands, but this use is controversial. Some parents feel that short stature is a disorder, but many doctors do not approve of the use of growth hormone in these children. Regardless of the cause of short stature, growth hormone is effective only if given before the bones stop growing. If identified, some brain tumors can be removed surgically, but children are at high risk of hypopituitarism because surgery may damage the pituitary. Children who have hypopituitarism are given hormones to replace the ones they are lacking (see Treatment ). 