Growth hormone deficiency

[Silvermockingbird]

Apologies for posting here for traffic.. just wondering if anyone has had a child with growth hormone deficiency who can give me some advice.

Basically my son will be 7 next month and measures 106cm (below the 0.4th Centile, he started at 2nd when he was born weighing 5lbs 5). He is noticeably shorter than all of his classmates, including the year below him too. He is becoming increasingly distressed by this and it only got worse this year when some of his peers said they didn’t want him on their football team because he’s ‘too little’ and can’t run very fast .

I was diagnosed with GHD as a child but my parents refused treatment so I am only 4’11 as an adult even though my parents are 5’6 and 5’10, so I know how the short stature can take its toll, and also GHD can be inherited by your children.

I took my son to the GP twice last year and he told me if my son was on the right track his adult height would be around 5’7 (his dad is 6’2), but since he’s dropped below the line it will place his adult height at 5’1, and he also acknowledged that he is only growing 1.5” per year. Each time they said they would ‘look into it’ but never got back to me.. I am taking him again next week, just looking for some advice on how I could persuade the GP to refer us to an endocrinologist without fobbing us off? Or has anyone else been through this and when did your child begin treatment?

My son is only 2 but on the 0.4th centile for height and weight, and has a “suboptimal” rate of growth for height in particular. Our current treatment plan is to be discharged as my son has no other issues and then be weighed and measured at 4, and if still on 0.4th centile or below be referred back to paediatrics with a view to give him growth hormones to help him catch up.

If I was you, I would be pressurising for a referral now, as the sooner he gets them the more he’ll be able to catch up. I’ve found that taking my husband to appointments at the GP can make them take it more seriously and be more likely to get a referral (frustratingly).