Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children

Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland, a very small gland located at the base of the brain. This hormone is known as 'somatotropin'. This human growth hormone stimulates the secretion of another hormone, known as insulin like growth factor (IGF-1), when it enters the liver. Growth hormone deficiency refers to the lack of 'somatotropin' that regulates the normal growth and cell reproduction. Deficiency of this hormone can occur at any age, but can be more commonly found among children. Children with this condition usually fail to reach the normal height. However, their body can develop in proportion, despite the short stature. Apart from impairing normal growth and development, it can affect their bone mass development as well.

Somatotropic Hormone Deficiency During Childhood

Causes
Deficiency of this hormone can be a condition present at birth. In other words, it can be a congenital condition. Rarely, it can be a genetic condition as well. In some instances, it can also be a hereditary condition. More commonly, deficiency of growth hormone can be associated with the abnormalities of the pituitary gland. Hypopituitarism is a condition, which can result in the reduced secretion of growth hormone and any of the other hormones secreted by the pituitary gland.

For some children, it can also be an acquired condition. This condition can develop after birth due to the damage to the pituitary gland. This in turn, can be caused by severe trauma or injury to the head, infections, brain tumors and radiation to the head to treat cancer. Sometimes, the pituitary gland may produce growth hormones, but the body may fail to respond to this hormone. Some other possible causes include, lack of oxygen at birth, deficiency of stimulatory hormone released by the hypothalamus, abnormalities of the hormone receptors and autoimmune attack. Moreover, the function of the pituitary gland can be adversely affected by certain health conditions like, renal failure, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and diabetes.

Symptoms
It slows down the rate of growth in affected children. Children usually grow 2 inches per year. So, children with this deficiency grow much slowly, less than 2 inch per year. This can eventually make them much shorter than the children of their age. It can also delay puberty, or in some instances puberty may not come at all. The signs of this deficiency in many children do not become evident until they reach the age of 2 to 3 years. However, in some children the signs of growth retardation may become apparent even at the age of 6 months. The symptoms of this condition that are more commonly observed in children are:

• Short height or stature for his or her specific age
• Slow rate of growth, less than 2 inch per year
• The face appearing much younger than the children of the same age
• Delayed tooth development
• Mild to moderate chubbiness due to increased amount of fats in the face and around the waistline
• Delayed puberty

Diagnosis and Treatment
To diagnose this condition, physicians usually measure the height, weight and the body proportion of the child to make a growth curve, along with evaluating the child's medical history. The medical history of the family, and the height of the parents and other family members are also taken into account. Apart from these, the specific diagnostic tests and examinations that are carried out for a confirmed diagnosis include, 'dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan' (to find out bone age), X-ray of the left hand and the wrist (to determine bone age), measurement of growth hormone and IGF-1 level, blood test and X-ray and MRI of the head.

Its treatment involves the administration of human growth hormone (HGH) injections under the care of a pediatric endocrinologist. The synthetic growth hormone for children has to be administered in the correct amount, which is determined by the pediatrics after evaluating the individual cases. Usually, parents are trained so that the injections can be given at home as well. The affected child may receive hormone injections daily or several times a week.

During the period when the child is given growth hormone injections, he or she has to be closely monitored, as administration of growth hormone can cause certain side effects. Some of the possible human growth hormone (HGH) side effects are, headaches, dizziness, fluid retention, muscle and joint pain and hearing and vision problems. However, all children may not experience the side effects of synthetic growth hormones. But still, it needs to be treated carefully. If you observe any of the side effects during the treatment period, then be sure to seek medical attention immediately to avoid any undesirable complications.