Hgh

I don't have personal experience with it.
But if you aren't already seeing a pediatric specialist, then I recommend you do so and get a second opinion. Not because your first doctor might be wrong, but simply to get more information about the treatment, the side effects, the lifelong effects, what to expect, etc.
And as another mom suggested, make sure your pediatrician is doing a full gamut of tests to see if there is an underlying disorder which needs to be treated, and which may be contributing to the slow growth.
Premature babies, as you know, can have developmental issues that are not a result of underlying disease, but rather from simply being born early. If that is the case with your little guy, the hGH may be the thing that is best for him.
It sounds like you are a great mom, and are helping both your kids to be the best they can. :)
Good luck.

Hi,

I do not have any personal experiance but my sister did - it ran in her husband's family ( her mother in law was under height ) and her daughter is very short but no trouble in other areas - she choose not to use medication mostly because everything else was ok but her sister in law who had a boy did use it( I can ask my sister).

I have however been reading ' nourishing traditions' by Sally Fallon a nutritional cookbook based on the work of a dentist in the 1930's Weston Price who was in the unusual position to study people around the world still eating their traditional diets and those who had moved to the cities (from the same place ). THe contrast was stunning in just one generation the ones in the cities had reduced jaw lines crowded teeth and lots of cavities -this was of course an indiation of what happened to their entire skeletal system .

I find it to very valuable resource -it certainly can't hurt and may really help improve your entire families health - I have one daughter who doesn't seem to absorb nutrients as well as the others - it helps her alot.

R.

have him tested for Celiac. if you google it you'll find all kinds of information. here's a quick definition:

Celiac disease: A disorder resulting from an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related grains, and present in many foods. Celiac disease causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Symptoms include frequent diarrhea and weight loss. A skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis can be associated with celiac disease. The most accurate test for celiac disease is a biopsy of the involved small bowel. Treatment is to avoid gluten in the diet. Medications are used for refractory (stubborn) celiac disease.

my niece who is now 12, average size and very healthy, was a candidate for hgh as well because at 9 years old she was very, very tiny and was growing at a very slow rate. she had a lot of stomach aches, too.

the doctors were testing her for everything but Celiac until her teacher suggested it... the family doctor said "well ok but i don't think it could be that" and lo and behold it was.

they changed her diet and she shot up a few inches in a year. it was magic. and she feels a lot better now, too! easy to test for so it's worth giving it a try.

good luck!

I also have no personal experience w/HGH. Several years ago, I saw an episode about them on an evening night news show (like 20/20) & the results in adulthood were not favorable. My in-laws thought about this for my husband when he was younger. He was always the smallest in his class & only grew to be 5'4". They decided, due to the possible side-effects, to not give him the drug. My husband's cousin gave it to her son who is now in his mid-30's. I don't know how old he was at the time, but it seemed to result in some knee problems & other, very uncomfortable, growing pains issues for him in high school. This cousin also has a bone structure that doesn't really go w/his his height of 6 ft....he's very thin, & small boned which I think is due to the growth hormone.....he grew to a tall height & his bone structure didn't grow to match it or wasn't meant to be. That's just my own opinion, nothing I've read about in terms of side effects from the drug. My only suggestion is to do some serious research & get more opinions. To be 3 & weigh 18 pounds is pretty small. I'd also suggest being sure your son has a very strong sense of self & good confidence. Find out what his strengths are & play up on those. Maybe get him involved in sports to help build up his physical strength & muscle-tone. My husband has very good confidence in himself & has a pretty good ego at times which is from his parents. 'Course it helped that both his parents are pretty self-centered & egotistical (!) but they realized he would probably always be short & made sure he felt good about himself. Hope this helps & good luck!

Hey how are you ,

I knew a family with your very same problem and the little one is just fine and not tiny any more .He is adult now and has kids of his own . HGH is really a serious thing to give a baby . I have a deep feeling towards this type of thing and would get several second opinions and weigh it very careful . This is your child and God for sure only knows what these medicines can cause in later years .My own child was very tiny and I worried about her and took her to the doctor because I feared she was never going to grow . Well she did grow and all my worry for nothing.I can understand how you feel and so I know it is hard choices to be made so be very careful and you and your husband God Bless you both and please think long on this.

Paula

'Might be a candidate' does not mean it is the best thing for him. I think it is being recommended because (one of the reasons anyway) he has a twin that is bigger.
My own son in kindergarten is the smallest kid in the class. He is only 31 pounds (he's over 5 1/2). I did ask about it about when he was a toddler (he took FOREVER to outgrow his infant car seat. I finally turned it around anyways at 15 months even tho he wasn't near 20 lbs yet) Anyway, the doctor (who worked with other kids using HGH) said it was not a necessity for him since that was just the way he is. His dad is 5'7" and is a (what's the masculine term for petite?) small wiry man. Both of us were barely pushing 100 lbs graduating from HS (oh how I wish I could say I still was! oh well) I myself am only 5'2" and the smallest in my family as well. (not that anyone is really big in our family, I'm just the smallest of us all). So anyway, dr said he would be just as well off to not be on it. So we didn't.

However that comment on Celiac intriques me. My son has started complaining every so often that his tummy hurts, especially in the middle of eating. I guess I'll have to look into it.

I personally do not- however I can send you to a yahoo group where there are some people who do. ____@____.com a group for families with children who have kidney issues from posterior urethral valves...I know there are some families who post there that have children on HGH...and they are pretty knowledgeable. Even though your son may not hve the same issues, I am sure that someone can answer your questions.
good luck- I'll let them know that you may be posting.

i used to make it when i worked at genentech. you can call the genentech customer service line and they will send you all sorts of information on it and you can ask to be put in touch with other families who have gone through what you are going through!

hi my name is leeanne and my little guy was earlier as well..he is on the short side for his height and average for his weight..i work in a medical office, so my advice would be to ask lots of questions of your pediatrican ,do as much research as you can...because frankie has a compromised immune system i am leary of giving him anything..good luck

I feel for you-Love & Good Luck!

If you haven't already, I recommend meeting with a pediatric endocrinologist... he/she will be able to tell you if hgh is right for your son. Good luck.