Conditions & Treatment of growth disorder

Until the mid 1980s, growth hormone therapy was prescribed only to children with severe growth hormone deficiency. Today however, growth hormone therapy is used to treat a wide range of conditions in both children and adults.

In children
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD)

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a disease, where a child’s body fails to produce adequate amounts of growth hormone, resulting in growth retardation.

GHD may be present at birth, or it may begin at any time during infancy or childhood. It is usually the result of the pituitary gland failing to produce adequate levels of growth hormone.

For most patients, the cause of growth hormone deficiency remains unknown. However, there are also several known causes, including:

A tumour in the pituitary region
Treatment of a brain tumour or cancer
A genetic disorder
Severe injury to the head

Without treatment, children with GHD grow slowly and reach a final height of about 40 cm below what would otherwise be expected. With growth hormone treatment, these children can reach an adult height within the normal range.

Some children with GHD produce enough growth hormone on their own that they may stop the treatment once growth has finished. However some remain growth hormone deficient as adults and may need to continue treatment throughout their lives.

Small for gestational age (SGA)

The most common definition of SGA is a birth length and/or weight of 2 or more standard deviations (SD) scores below the mean (or 2.3 percentile) for gestational age and sex. Intrauterine growth retardation, while not a synonym, is used interchangeably with SGA, but implies a pathophysiological cause for the inhibition of normal growth in utero.

Turner’s syndrome

Turner’s syndrome is a genetic defect in girls which amongst other things, results in growth retardation and infertility as well as other potential medical, psychological, and cosmetic issues.

Growth hormone treatment, either alone or in conjunction with sex hormone replacement therapy, for example oestrogen, can significantly improve final adult height.

Chronic renal disease (CRD)

Growth retardation is often seen as a clinical manifestation of progressive chronic renal disease (CRD) in children.

The kidneys play a vital role in extracting waste products from the blood. In chronic renal disease, the kidneys fail to filter the blood properly. This creates an imbalance of growth factors in the blood, which leads to severe growth retardation in some patients.

Today, through dialysis and kidney transplantation, even children with end-stage renal failure are able to live long, fruitful lives, and so treatment for short stature has become an even greater need. Growth hormone treatment may help these children achieve normal height.

In adults

Growth hormone deficiency in adults (GHDA)
Growth hormone continues to play an important role throughout adulthood, regulating metabolism and body composition, promoting strong bones and a healthy heart, and improving one’s general quality of life.

Growth hormone deficiency in adults (GHDA) can begin at any time and can be the result of:

A tumour in the pituitary region
Treatment of a brain tumour or cancer
Severe injury to the head
Growth hormone treatment may help adults with GHD normalise: weight, body fat distribution, muscle mass, bone mineral density, and energy levels, as a result one’s general sense of well-being will increase.