I. Will the application of growth hormone make children less resistant?
On the contrary, basic medical research has confirmed that growth hormone can improve the immunity of the body.
How do I know if growth hormone injection therapy is effective?
The clinical assessment of the effectiveness of growth hormone is an increase in growth rate of 3 cm or more one year after treatment compared to the pre-treatment period. Growth hormone can be tried for three months, and if it grows more than 1.5 cm in three months, then it is clinically effective. If the growth is less than 1.5 cm, the factors affecting the efficacy should be analyzed together with the treating physician.
Some parents often ask why their child has not grown after using growth hormone for one or two months. It is important to remind parents not to enter the misconception that “if you apply growth hormone treatment, your child will grow taller quickly”, because such an idea is unrealistic and does not conform to the laws of natural science. First of all, from the perspective of children’s growth and development, height growth is a relatively slow process, and it is impossible to achieve an “instant” effect after using medicine. Secondly, the effectiveness of clinical growth hormone treatment for children with short stature is judged by the following criteria: an increase of more than 3 cm in the child’s growth rate in a year compared to that before treatment is considered effective.
Generally, 3 months of growth hormone treatment is an observation course, and relatively obvious treatment effects can be seen in 3 months. It is normal for a child to grow about 2 cm in three months of treatment.
It is clinically proven that growth hormone is used in the treatment of children with short stature, and the treatment can effectively improve the growth rate of the affected children, thus improving their final height.
Is there a course of growth hormone treatment?
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a course of treatment for growth hormone, but experts recommend using it for at least a year if you want to achieve significant results. Generally speaking, 3 months is a period of observation, so that the doctor can adjust the dosage according to the growth situation to achieve the best results. It is important to listen to the advice of the treating physician and follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment.
IV. What kind of review is needed after growth hormone treatment?
After growth hormone treatment, the height should be counted every three months and the bone age can be reviewed every six months. Generally, thyroid function and blood sugar need to be checked. IGF-1 monitoring should be considered 1-2 months after treatment, and the advice of the treating doctor should be sought.
V. What is the best age to inject growth hormone for dwarfism treatment?
The earlier the treatment, the better. Treatment before puberty is the best time for treatment. If a clear diagnosis has been made, treatment can be started after the child is 4 years old.
VI. Under what circumstances is it necessary to stop using growth hormone treatment?
Criteria for discontinuation of growth hormone deficiency.
1. Epiphyseal closure.
2. Significant side effects to growth hormone therapy (e.g. hyperglycemia, abnormal liver function).
3. Achievement of the height goal expected by parents.
7. Is growth hormone powder injection or water injection better?
At present, with the rapid development of genetic recombination technology in China, the growth hormone activity standard in Europe and the United States is 3.0, and some of the growth hormone activities in China have already reached 3.0, the purity is already quite high and at the international leading level. However, from the economic point of view, 3.0 is cheaper than the active powder injection, and the financial burden of the family is light. As a doctor, I suggest that you can choose according to your family’s economic situation.
Can children with hepatitis B and C who are short be treated with growth hormone?
1. Hepatitis B and C are at high risk of liver cancer, while IGF-I has the effect of promoting cell mitosis and inhibiting apoptosis, so growth hormone therapy is generally not recommended.
2. Hepatitis B and C are in the active stage and are definitely not treatable with growth hormone.
3. If hepatitis B and C are in the stable stage with normal AST and ALT, they can be treated with growth hormone.