Definition | Special instructions | Side effects | Warning signs
What is growth hormone?
Growth hormone has traditionally been used to increase the adult height of children with growth hormone deficiency. However, in recent years growth hormone therapy has been approved for several other conditions.
Growth hormone is used in conditions such as Growth Hormone Deficiency, Turner Syndrome, Idiopathic Short Stature, Noonan Syndrome and in children who were small for gestational age and did not undergo "catch up" growth.
Growth hormone will increase the speed at which your child is growing. This increase will help your child reach a height a little taller than if he/she did not take growth hormone. Each child will respond differently. Your child will grow faster during the first year of therapy. This growth may be 2-3 times faster than before therapy. This is called "catch-up" growth. The "catch-up" growth will eventually slow down. Growth hormone also has positive effects on lean body mass by changing fat metabolism. It helps strengthen bones and also helps improve cholesterol.
The therapy requires a daily injection. The shot can be given directly under the skin in the arms, legs, lower back or stomach. A nurse will teach you and/or your child how to prepare the medicine and give the shot.
Most children remain on growth hormone treatment for several years to get the maximum benefit. However, children with growth hormone deficiency may need to stay on this treatment for life.
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Special Instructions
It is important to take growth hormone everyday in order to have maximum benefits from the medication. If a dose is missed, skip that dose. Do not double the next dose to make up for the missed dose.
Most growth hormone needs to be refrigerated. Please check with you growth hormone company or your child's nurse.
This medication requires a special insurance approval at the beginning of therapy, yearly, and with each insurance change. Your doctor will obtain the information needed to get insurance approval during clinic visits.
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If a Dose is Missed
For any medication information related to your child's dosing schedule and/or missed doses, contact the healthcare provider who prescribed the medication.
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Side effects
Growth hormone is considered a safe therapy and side effects are rare. The risk of side effects varies with diagnosis and dose of growth hormone used. Your doctor will discuss these side effects with you in greater detail.
There have been reports of children developing diabetes while on growth hormone. However, diabetes seems to develop only in children who have a family history of insulin dependent diabetes.
Another side effect is an increase in the pressure on the brain, called benign intracranial hypertension. This pressure can cause headaches, upset stomach and vomiting. This is reversible and should go away once the medicine has been stopped.
Growth hormone causes a child to grow faster and because of this increase in the speed of growth a child can develop a problem with his/her hip. This is called slipped capital femoral epiphyses (i-pif-uh-seez) (SCFE). The child will usually complain of pain in the knee or hip and start walking with a limp. The diagnosis of SCFE is made by an x-ray and can only be fixed with surgery.
Many parents are concerned that treatment with growth hormone can cause cancer. Children who are at risk of developing cancer or who have recently been treated for cancer may not be a candidate for growth hormone treatment.
After more than 20 years of research, in thousands of patients, it is evident that healthy children, on appropriate doses of growth hormone, are not at increased risk for developing cancer.
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Warning signs
Once your child is started on growth hormone you should call your health care provider immediately for:
- severe headaches
- eye swelling
- vomiting with headache
- limping
- knee or hip pain
- rash
Call your health care provider during normal business hours for:
- Injection site changes including:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Drainage / Discharge
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Additional Information
Children on growth hormone therapy should be seen by the endocrinologist every 3-6 months, depending on the length of time the child has been taking growth hormone.
The endocrinologist will keep a close eye on your child's growth and development and make dose changes as needed to get the maximum benefit from treatment.
Clinic visits are extremely important to schedule as requested by your doctor in order to keep yearly insurance approvals.
Contact Us
For additional information on this or any Health Topic, please call the Family Resource Center, 513-636-7606, or your pediatrician.
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PEP 5058 V 12/91
Rev. 3/08
