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Growth Hormones |
Karen Savage | CWK Network |
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“It’s become a part of our lives, and you get used to it quickly. And it’s definitely been worth it. It’s made all the difference for Tyler.”
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Tina Smith, mother
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An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 kids have a growth hormone deficiency. Tyler Smith, 15, is one of them. He used to be the smallest kid in his class. And the teasing hurt. “To have one of my peers think of me as a lesser person, that just makes me feel flat out terrible,” he says. Tyler’s body wasn’t producing enough HGH, the hormone responsible for growth, so his doctor started him on injections of synthetic growth hormone.
Dr. John S. Parks, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, explains, “It’s given generally six or seven days a week, most often before bedtime, and it replaces what the child’s pituitary is unable to make.” Tyler has been getting daily shots for over five years. It’s a lot of effort, but it’s working. Tyler’s mom, Tina Smith says, “It’s become a part of our lives, and you get used to it quickly. And it’s definitely been worth it. It’s made all the difference for Tyler.”
How small is too small? What children need growth hormones? Experts say one red flag is the percentile on the child’s growth chart. Dr. Parks says: “If it’s below the 1 st percentile, then you have a very, very strong indication for trying to find out why is my boy or girl so small for their age? If it’s 1 st to 5 th, there’s still an indication.”
Tyler has gone from the 0 percentile to the 40 th. His doctor estimates he will be 5 foot 10 inches tall. And that’s not all. Tyler says he feels different. “I felt more secure standing around and being myself as a taller person – and no one was saying anything. And I can say that girls were looking more – and that’s what I guess it’s all for,” he says with a smile. |
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By Amye Walters
CWK Network, Inc.
Hormones are chemicals produced by special cells in glands and other organs of the body. Most hormones are produced in the endocrineglands. These hormones, which are produced in very small amounts, are released into the bloodstream and travel to the “target organ” or tissue where they exert their effect.
Growth hormone is a protein that is produced by the pituitary (“master”) gland and is vital for normal growth. The main effect of growth hormone is to promote growth of body tissues.
Growth hormone deficiency may occur by itself or in combination with one or more other pituitary hormone deficiencies. It may be total (no growth hormone is produced) or partial (some growth hormone is produced, but not enough to support normal growth). It can be congenital, resulting from abnormal formation of the pituitary before birth, or acquired,stemming from damage during or after birth.
At one time, the only source of human growth hormone was the pituitary glands of deceased people, obtained at autopsy. In 1985, pituitary-derived growth hormone was removed from distribution in the United States following the deaths of several young adults from a very rare viral disease that may have been transmitted through the pituitary growth hormone they had received many years earlier. Today, biosynthetic growth hormone, which is produced using recombinant DNA technology, is used in growth hormone-deficient children. Because this type of growth hormone does not come from human beings, there is little possibility that human diseases can be transmitted through it. Consider the following:
- Between 10,000 and 15,000 children in the United States have growth failure due to growth hormone deficiency.
- The earlier a treatable growth problem is detected, the better the child’s chance of maintaining a normal height throughout childhood and realizing his or her full growth potential.
- Growth hormone deficiency is moderately difficult to diagnose because the pituitary gland produces growth hormone in bursts.
- Our society places great emphasis on height. Children who are short for their age sometimes have problems because playmates and teachers treat them as though they are younger, rather than smaller. Parents tend to do this too, and decrease their expectations of the child.
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By Amye Walters
CWK Network, Inc.
A child’s rate of growth is an important clue to the presence or absence of a growth problem. On average, babies grow 10 inches in height and triple their birth weight in the first year of life. The rapid growth of infancy slows to about two-and-a-half inches from age two through puberty. During the two to five years of puberty, most teens will gain between seven and 10 inches in height. Consider the following regarding children’s height:
- A child with growth hormone deficiency is often small, with an immature face and chubby body build.
- The rate of growth of all body parts is slow, so the child’s proportions remain normal.
- If your child is the same height as children two or more years younger, or falls away from a previously normal growth curve, he or she should be evaluated by a doctor. Pediatric endocrinologists specialize in treating children with growth and hormone problems.
- Growth hormone deficiency is treated over several years with injections of growth hormone. Some children receive three of four injections a week, while others receive daily injections.
- Many parents notice an increase in the child’s appetite and loss of body fat after treatment begins.
- You can obtain more information about the Human Growth Foundation and your local chapter by calling 1-800-451-6434.
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Human Growth Foundation
Kid’sHealth
Pediatric Endocrinologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
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