I. What conditions can be treated with growth hormone (rhGH) for dwarfism?
With the accumulation of a large amount of experience in the clinical application of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), the number of conditions approved for treatment with rhGH is gradually increasing.
1.Growth hormone deficiency: In 1985, the US FDA approved rhGH for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency, which is the indication with the best effect of applying growth hormone. Clinical applications at home and abroad for many years have shown that recombinant human growth hormone can make these children with dwarfism generally grow 10-12cm per year. 2. Idiopathic dwarfism (ISS): In 2003, the U.S. FDA approved the application of growth hormone treatment for idiopathic dwarfism (familial dwarfism) to improve the final height of patients.
3. Short stature caused by congenital ovarian dysplasia (Turner’s syndrome), chronic renal insufficiency and intrauterine growth retardation have also been recognized as indications for growth hormone treatment.
4. Growth hormone treatment is also effective for familial dwarfism, delayed height development caused by precocious puberty, and chondrodysplasia.
If your child can be treated with growth hormone, it must be used under the guidance of a doctor. If it is inconvenient for foreign patients to visit the clinic, they can first communicate with me by phone about the precautions to be taken before the clinic.
II. What are the precautions in growth hormone treatment?
The correct dose of rhGH should be injected under the guidance of the doctor; injected 1 hour before bedtime every night; it is best for parents to learn to inject themselves to avoid wasting; the injection site should be changed; proper adherence to exercise during the treatment period is conducive to full absorption of the drug; if the height growth slows down <6cm per year after rhGH treatment, the drug can be temporarily discontinued for 3-6 months and then reapplied; for idiopathic dwarfism, if the growth rate decreases after treatment, the drug should be used again. For idiopathic dwarfism, if the growth rate decreases after treatment, an increase in dose should be considered under the condition of ensuring compliance. If parents encounter unexpected events during the treatment with growth hormone, they can first contact me through telephone consultation. III. What are the side effects of growth hormone treatment? Local transient reactions at the injection site (pain, tingling, redness, swelling, etc.) and symptoms of fluid retention (peripheral edema, arthralgia or myalgia), the incidence of which is now less; antibody production, which may affect the efficacy, but the incidence of aqueous doses is low; hypothyronemia; temporary hypoglycemia; femoral head necrosis, slippage; idiopathic intracranial pressure elevation: headache, vomiting, etc.; possibility of inducing tumors: there is no There is no clear evidence. Parents should not be anxious when side effects occur during hormone therapy, but go to the hospital or contact me by phone first. Caution should be exercised for those with a family history of tumors and for those with long-term supraphysiological doses of growth hormone. The growth hormone currently used is genetically recombinant, and its molecular structure is exactly the same as that of human growth hormone, and since it is a replacement therapy, the occurrence of side effects is relatively rare. However, during the course of growth hormone treatment, it is still necessary to follow up with the doctor’s advice at regular intervals at a hospital specialist clinic. Regular height measurements, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, T4, TSH, blood glucose and insulin tests should be performed to adjust the GH dose and thyroid hormone supplementation in a timely manner. Bone age should be checked once every six months. Sexual development should be observed during the course of treatment and treated as needed. Those suspected of having intracranial lesions should pay attention to regular repeat cranial MRI, etc. If parents have other questions, they can communicate with me one-on-one through telephone consultation, and I will answer your questions with my years of working experience.