Growth Hormone Deficiency

That is extremely tiny for 3 years old. With 2 different Drs recommending testing, I would certainly have it done. If she were to be a midget as an adult and you had failed to do what was possible to give her a normal life she would not be very happy with you. Right now she is tiny and cute but no one likes to be treated as a young child in high school or college. V. Ellis

My son was quite small for the longest time (he's now 27). When he was little the Drs would not have suggested adding growth hormones. When he was 12 yrs old he made up for being so small by growing 6 inches in 3 months.

I would be wary about more growth hormones in her little system. We are already bombarded with artificial growth hormones in our dairy products, meats and eggs. What will an over abundance of them do. Our grand daughter started developing breast at 3 yrs old because she drank so much milk and ate a lot of chicken. We all switched to an organic diet and things went back to normal after a while.

It's something to think about.

Hi S.,

I haven't had this issue but a dear friend of mine has. A month ago her tall 5 year old was weighing in at 33 pounds. I suggested that she do a cleansing because the doctors, for the last year, just kept telling her that he was just a small framed child. He actually looked like an third-world orphan.

She started him on a product that I recommended with a psyllium husk base that gently cleanses the colon and his appetite has changed and he has gained 6 pounds. (not just any psyllium based product will work) He looks like a healthy kid now, not just from the weight gain but he has good color in his face. I don't know what the testing for the GHD entails but this is something that she tried that was cheap, easy, and it's ALWAYS good for you.

God bless!

M.

My late dh was a little person so I know a little about HGH.If the Endo thinks she's deficient in this hormone they can give it to her so she'll grow and catch up.Better safe than sorry.

Based on a PP's description of the testing, I would definitely do that. It's better to find out if she does have a deficiency. If it turns out she fails the test and does have a deficiency, then you can decide if you want to to the GH supplements - but you don't have to cross that bridge until you come to it. She may just be little.

At her size - I'm assuming other tests were done first? Blood work, stool sample, etc to rule out more common issues? I've also go a little one (2.75 yo, 24 lbs) and we had to go through all the lab work stuff about a year ago.

Also - how is her growth? Has she been following the growth chart trend lines (just below them, but same slope) or has her growth completely stopped (i.e. 22 lbs at 2 yo and 22 lbs at 3 yo). If she's growing at the same rate as other children her age, then she probably doesn't have a deficiency. But if her growth has stopped or is only increasing minimally, then a GH deficiency is a lot more probably. But, that's something only the test will let you know.

S., My daughter is the same 3 yrs old and weighs 24 lbs and 33 inches. She is in the 3% and when she was 18 months her doctor had her tested for growth hormone deficiency and she was just fine. We have petite daughters, her brother who is 4 yrs old only weighs 29 lbs and is 37 inches. They happy, healthy and they eat so I don't worry about it, they are both going to be small. I am only 5'1" and my husband is only 5'8" so neither of us our very big either. So unless your daughter is not happy and healthy I think she will be fine.

I wouldn't worry about it at this stage..is she growing at a progressing rate every year? a normal curve for her self? are you and your husband small framed? Is there something missing from her diet? Does she eat well balanced meals? My 3 boys are all very small for thier ages...trust me- there is nothing I can do to make them grow-they eat very healthy and very well for thier ages and i refuse to put them on growth hormone....just to keep up with the large population.
I was very little and skinny when I was a kid until I was about 14. My soon to be 7 year old- just recently hit 40 lbs. My 5 year old weighs 37 lbs and my 17mo old is about 22 lbs...22lbs at 3 does seem a little small - but if she has been growing at a steady rate I don't see a need to worry. But if you are worried- it doesn't hurt to get an evaluation or second opinion- if not for anything but peace of mind for yourself!
Good Luck

I am surprised that they are so concerned, my son was 24 lbs at 3 and the issue was never brought up. He is now 5 1/2 and barely 32 lbs. He does not look seriously out of place in his class at school. I would probebly do the testing if your dr. recommends it but would give serious consideration before giving HGH. If it is no danger to her health there is nothing wrong with being small! I myself weighed about 22 lbs (maybe less) at that age and stopped growing at 12 at a whopping 4 foot 10 1/2 inches and love being small. God made us all unique and special!

S.,

Our now 13 y.o. son had cranial radiation (radiation to the head) when he was 6 y.o. as part of his treatment for leukemia. We recently had to take him to Scottish Rite for GH deficiency testing because he is very short. (He passed all the tests so he doesn't need the growth hormones.)

The testing takes at least 6 hours (but you'll be there all day), and consists of your daughter being hooked up to an IV while they give her medications to stimulate the pituitary gland to make the growth hormones. Other than the IV insertion it is painless and she will actually sleep - very deeply - for part/most of the test.

In order for her to receive the GHs, she will need to "flunk" the tests. "Flunking" means her body isn't producing enough hormones - the endocrinologist can explain at what levels she "flunks". (For our son, it was levels of less than 10 - that number might be different for younger children.) If she "passes" the tests then GHs aren't an option (as was our son's case).

The growth hormone therapy consists of getting a shot every day for X number of days (X being determined by the endrocrinologist), but is usually a year or two - again, you'll have to talk to the doctor as it might be different from a teen's. The shot itself is easy and not that painful I believe. It's a little box that you press against their abdomen and press a button. Pop and it's done.

If you decide to have the testing, which I highly recommend if your doctors are recommending it, take at least one set of extra clothes and see if you can find a swim diaper or Pull-ups your daughter's size. The meds knock them out cold and they run a lot of fluids through them - they tend to have accidents while they're "sleeping."

She also won't be able to eat that morning and only able to drink water. I would make sure she drinks water for breakfast, etc. b/c you want her veins hydrated and easy to find. But for yourselves, take snacks, a lunch, etc. Once she's asleep you can get something to eat, etc. Also, it takes a while to get back to the infusion rooms (at either Egleston or Scottish Rite) so you'll want to take some things for her to do while you're waiting.

If your daughter does "flunk" the tests (usually takes 1.5-2 weeks to get results), I would recommend you do the GHs - especially since she's a girl and does more growing at a younger age than boys who tend to shoot up in their teen or later years.

Feel free to write me if you have any questions. We were just at Scottish Rite a week or two ago for this test AND know Egelston pretty well so if you have any specific questions about either campus I should be able to answer them. I hope everything works out and good luck!

D.

Are any relatives on either side of the family small? Does your daughter have any food sensitivities?

I have five children, two of which were always below 0% on the growth charts. They have all grown consistently each year, weight and height. My 9 year old daughter just hit 50 pounds and is within one inch of the same height my son was that the same age (he was always in the 90%) and my 6 1/2 year old daughter is now 37 pounds and about 44 inches. They are both happy and healthy with great muscle tone.

My MIL is only 5 foot. All of my children have had different reactions to gluten and dairy.

My first daughter's pediatrician wanted me to go to an endocrinologist for the testing, but I discovered through trial and error the food sensitivities and things that suited us better then drugs.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to ask.

Hi,
I am a grandmother and I have a set of twin grandsons that lives with my husband and I. They will be seven next month and one of them was tested for growth hormone deficiency just about a month ago. The testing is very easy. We are going to talk to his doctor next month about the medication wich is shots for him. We want to hear all the pros and cons for this before we decide. He only weighs 35 pounds. The twins were born at 33 weeks and he has had a lot of problems. When my grandson was tested in was at the hospital and all they did was draw blood from him.

K. Allen

I guess it can't hurt to have her tested, right? My son is pretty small, although not as small as your daughter... at last check up he was in the 5th percentile for height. The pediatrician told me that rate of growth is more important than actual height, so since he'd grown a couple of inches in the past year, they weren't too worried. I guess you can get the test and then weigh your options. Good luck.

Pediatric endocrinologist suggesting you look into growth hormones? Have the testing done, for sure!!! Your daughter will thank you later.

I have not but I think either 60 minutes or 20/20 has done a special on it before their archives may have more information on it. I wish you the best on what you decide to do.

Hi S.,

I know how troubleing this can be. We went through this and similar tests with our seven year old son last year. To tell the truth, our little man was braver throughout the whole process than we were. My mother kept telling me to leave him alone and he would be fine. We did our research, talked to other doctors, and prayed. In the end we decided that we owed it the our little man to find out and make the best decision we could for him. How would we feel years down the line if there was a problem that could be corrected without harm to him, and we burried our heads in the sand out of fear? So we went ahead with the tests (blood work and x-rays). It turns out the Doctors were right. He is now on medication and will be for the next 8-10 years. We have no regrets and know that we made the right decision for him.

If you know in heart that you have a wonderful doctor whom you trust, go ahead and have your child tested. Just do your research and then decide what course of action to take.

Best Wishes,