Growth hormone treatment ?

[sparkycus]

Just wondered if anyone has any experience of growth hormone treatment for their child ?

Dd is about to start hers at the end of the month .
Her projected adult height is 4'9 , but the dr tells me she won't even reach it as her growth is way below even the bottom centille .

Hubby is very short 5'2 , I'm 5'1 so we can't expect a 6 footer .

Dd had inter uterine growth problems and has been named as a failure
to thrive child in the past . She's had dietitian and good supplements in the past , and now has medication to encourage her appitite .

All genetic tests so far have shown nothing unusual .

Given that there is a scary lists of side effects , I am unsure
if this is the best thing for Dd .

She also has mid level autism and developmental delays , so unlikely to make an independent life when she's older .

She will always need someone to look after her to some extent .

What would you recommend ?

Our DD was on growth hormone therapy from 5 years old until she got to 13 yrs old and had started her periods.
DD had inter growth problems, born at nearly 33 weeks weighing 2 lb 10 oz.
Until she started genotropin, her height continued below the bottom of the chart.
Now tracking the 25th line.
Had duocal powder as a baby to add to her milk.
Had enlarged tonsils and addenoids, both removed when DD was nearly 5 years.
Though once she started genotropin her appetite picked up.
DD has always been on the lean side, though now in puberty is filling out nicely.
How old is your DD?
Our DD has had no side effects. I found she got a small bruises sometimes in the areas I did the injection.
When are you due to see Dds endocrinologist?
DD had a two day blood test before she started, both were half days in hospital checking her glucose levels.
They use this combined with the child's weight to decide if the treatment will work, and to work out what dose she needs.

Dds dose was 1 mg which stayed the same throughout her treatment.
They will only give a small dose to start with, to cut down on the risks of side effects.
Hope this helps.

My DD2 is 11.5 and has been on growth hormone (norditropin) since she was 14 months. She has a rare genetic disorder for which GH is a recommended treatment. It will allow her normal growth (people with her condition without GH don't grow properly) and boosts her metabolism and muscle mass, which she needs as she has low tone and a metabolic component to her disorder.

I've not noticed any side effects and it has worked so well she is recorded by her paediatrician as being "tall for familial height"