Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), also known as dwarfism or pituitary dwarfism, is a condition caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body. Children with GHD have abnormally short stature with normal body proportions. GHD can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later (acquired).
What Is Growth Hormone?
Growth hormone (GH) is a substance in the body that helps kids grow and develop. It Is produced by our brain’s pituitary gland and governs our height, bone length and muscle growth
Where is the pituitary gland?
A small gland between the lobes of the brain
How growth hormone works
- Our bones need enough growth hormone during our childhood and adolescence in order to lengthen to adult proportions
- Growth hormone prompts our liver to make a substance called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). This and other similar compounds are involved in bone growth
What Is Growth Hormone Deficiency?
It is when the body does not make enough growth hormone to allow a child to grow at a normal pace
Signs & Symptoms of Growth Hormone Deficiency/short Stature?
- Slow or flat rate of growth
- low blood sugars/(hypoglycemia
- Muscle weakness
- Teeth that come in late
- In boys, a small penis at birth
- Delayed puberty
- A younger-looking face than what’s expected for their age
- Impaired hair and nail growth
- Some are chubby like
Types of Growth Hormone Deficiencies
- Congenital GH deficiency: Can be present from birth resulting from genetic mutations or from structural defects in the brain.
- Acquired GH deficiency: Can be acquired later in life as a result of trauma, infection, radiation therapy, or tumor growth within the brain.
- Idiopathic GH deficiency: As no known or diagnosable cause.
How Is Growth Hormone Deficiency Diagnosed?
You will be send to a pediatric endocrinologist. This is a doctor who specializes in children's growth and hormones. Where he/she will conduct the following tests:
- Blood tests: IGF-I, or insulin-like growth factor I or IGFPB-3, or insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3
- GH stimulation test: your child will need to fast by not eating or drinking anything for a certain number of hours, usually overnight. The doctor will give your child a medicine that should make the body produce a burst of GH. A nurse will then draw blood at a few different times to check the GH levels.
- Bone age X-rays: Typically of the left hand) which shows the Shape and size of bones change as a healthy person grows. Your doctor can see bone abnormalities with this x-ray. An expert compares your child's X-rays with the X-rays of other children the same age, and gives the bones an age in years. If a child's bone age is much younger than their actual age, this might be a sign of GH deficiency.
- Brain MRI: This very detailed picture of the brain which helps doctors see if there is a problem with the pituitary gland or the brain that might be causing GH deficiency.
How Is Growth Hormone Deficiency Treated?
Growth hormone shot every day
What to expect during Endocrine visits
- Monitoring your child’s growth.(growth charts)
- May order blood tests to see how your child’s body is responding to the medicine.
- Change the dose, if needed
