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Growth hormone is a hormone normally secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain and is needed to stimulate the growth of bone and other tissues.¹

The main sign of GH deficiency is slow height growth each year after a child's 3^rd birthday. This means a growth in height of less than 3.5 cm a year.²

A child with GH deficiency may also have a younger-looking face, a chubby body build, an impaired hair growth and delayed puberty.³

These features (mainly the reduced height growth velocity for the age) will make the pediatrician, or the pediatric endocrinologist order some blood tests, a child bone age (X-ray of the left wrist) and eventually a brain imaging.

At the end of this evaluation, the decision of giving growth hormone will be established.

Dr. Julien LTEIF

Pediatrician

^{1-“Growth hormone deficiency”. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) – an NCATS Program. 2016.}

^{2-"Growth Hormone Deficiency". NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). 2016.}

^{3-James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. (10th ed.). Saunders. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.}