I. What is growth hormone?
Growth hormone is a protein hormone that makes children grow taller, and is produced by the pituitary gland. Normal people secrete growth hormone every day, especially at night, so sleep is very important for children’s height.
What is the effect of using growth hormone in children with growth hormone deficiency?
Children with growth hormone deficiency cannot produce enough growth hormone on their own and their growth rate is slow. The purpose of using growth hormone is to supplement this deficiency so that the child can grow faster to reach the level of a normal child. Based on the results of clinical use, the child’s growth rate increases by about 4-5 times, and the average height increases by 6-7 cm after 6 months.
How does the use of growth hormone work in children with non-growth hormone deficiency dwarfism?
Non-growth hormone deficient dwarfism mainly includes the following conditions: idiopathic dwarfism, small for gestational age, and Turner syndrome, which are all indications approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for the use of growth hormone. Children with non-growth hormone deficiency should be given a higher dose, generally 0.15-0.2 units per kilogram of body weight per day, especially at puberty. A large amount of data at home and abroad shows that as long as the dose is sufficient and the course of treatment is adequate, these children can also achieve satisfactory results with growth hormone therapy.
Will the use of growth hormone in non-growth hormone deficient children disrupt their own growth hormone secretion?
In children with non-growth hormone deficient dwarfism, although the secretion level of growth hormone is normal, part of it is not physiologically active and cannot play a role in growth, and exogenous growth hormone can make up for this deficiency. Moreover, the half-life of growth hormone is very short, and it is quickly metabolized and excreted in the body, so there is no need to worry about disrupting the secretion of growth hormone by itself after use.
Will growth hormone accelerate the growth of bone age?
In children with growth hormone deficiency, their bone age is often more than 2 years behind their actual age before the use of the drug, and after the supplementation of growth hormone, their bone age will catch up with their age until it is parallel to their age, but will not exceed their actual age. A large amount of clinical data at home and abroad prove that the growth of bone age after growth hormone treatment is parallel to the growth of age and will not cause accelerated growth of bone age.
V. Will growth hormone treatment cause precocious puberty?
Sexual development is related to sex hormones, but growth hormone is not a sex hormone. It mainly stimulates the proliferation of chondrocytes to make height growth, so it will not cause precocious puberty, on the contrary, if growth hormone can be applied in combination during the treatment of precocious puberty, it can also improve the final height of the affected children.
Does growth hormone cause obesity?
The hormones we usually refer to are usually glucocorticoids, such as prednisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, etc. These hormones will indeed cause side effects such as centripetal obesity and full-moon face after being used more. Growth hormone is not glucocorticoid, its mechanism of action is completely different from glucocorticoid, and growth hormone has the effect of promoting protein synthesis and fat decomposition, so it will not cause obesity in children.
7. When should I start to use growth hormone for my child?
If your child has been diagnosed as short, the earlier you use it, the better the results. The younger the child’s bone age, the greater the growth potential of the epiphyseal cartilage plate, and the better the growth promotion effect.
When is the best time to inject growth hormone into my child?
The best time for injection is at night before going to bed, which is consistent with the natural law of growth hormone secretion after sleep and enables growth hormone to work better.
9. Will growth hormone treatment have any side effects?
The strict manufacturing process and monitoring system ensure the high quality, high purity and impurity-free protein of genetically recombinant human growth hormone. Among patients using growth hormone, only a very small number of patients have adverse reactions, mainly local redness and pain at the injection site, headache and joint swelling and pain due to water and sodium retention at the beginning of the treatment, which are mild and transient and will not affect the efficacy and will disappear on their own with the extension of treatment time. Other: Growth hormone treatment may increase fasting blood glucose values compared with those before injection, but not to the standard of diabetes, and this reaction is reversible.
X. How should I store and carry growth hormone?
Growth hormone is stored and transported at low temperatures from the moment it leaves the production line. Please store it in a refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius, i.e. in the freezer of the refrigerator, taking care not to freeze it. If it has been mixed with water for injection, it can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for 48-72 hours. When you go out, you can use ice bag to keep the low temperature.
XI. What should I do if I forget to inject?
Forgetting once in a while will not affect the efficacy of the treatment, and there is no need to use double the dose the next day. If the number of omissions is high, it will affect the efficacy.
XII. Do I have to insist on treatment when my child is sick?
The common cold or minor illnesses will not affect the growth hormone treatment and the injection should be adhered to. In case of body temperature over 38.5 degrees Celsius, burns or surgery, it is recommended to suspend growth hormone treatment and temporarily stop the drug for one week during vaccination.
XIII. What do I need to pay attention to in the process of using growth hormone?
During the treatment process, as growth accelerates and the child’s appetite improves, it is necessary to increase nutrition appropriately, such as various vitamins, trace elements and calcium, and to let the child have a regular life, sufficient sleep, appropriate exercise and a happy mood will help the child grow taller. At the same time, bring your child to the pediatric endocrinology department of the hospital for regular follow-up visits to record the changes in height and the monitoring of some relevant laboratory indicators.