1. Choice of hospital
It is best to choose a hospital with a separate pediatric endocrinology department or a growth and development center in order to conduct systematic endocrine examination for children with dwarfism.
2. Choice of department
Children with dwarfism need to go to the pediatric endocrinology department or the child growth and development center. If the hospital does not have a pediatric endocrinology department or growth and development center, they can also go to the child health department.
3. At the time of consultation, the following information should be detailed to the attending physician.
The child’s gender/age/height/weight (shoes need to be removed for height measurement).
The height/weight at birth.
The time when the child was found to be short.
The change in height in the last year.
The child’s intelligence.
The height of the parents.
The current development of sexual characteristics.
Any family history of tumors, diabetes, genetic disorders, chronic hepatitis, kidney disease and asthma.
Any use of drugs affecting growth and development, such as glucocorticoids like prednisone (prednisone), dexamethasone, etc.
The pregnancy status of the mother.
The condition of the infant at birth, whether the birth was obstructed, asphyxiated and by what method of delivery, height and weight at birth, etc.
The height and developmental age of family members and the presence of genetic disorders.
Previous medical visits and relevant test results, etc. (bring the child’s case and previous test results).
4.What tests are needed for children with short stature
There are many causes of dwarfism, and to treat it, we must find out the cause, make a correct diagnosis, and then consider how to treat it. In order to find out the cause of the disease, we must first ask the medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests, and based on the detailed information and laboratory results, we will analyze and judge the cause of the child’s dwarfism and finally determine the treatment plan.
Bone age: To determine the growth of the child’s bones, the degree of epiphyseal closure and growth potential.
Secondly, blood, urine, liver and kidney function, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase should be done.
Thirdly, growth hormone stimulation tests (thyroxine, growth factor levels, etc.) will be performed.
For girls, blood chromosomes will also be checked.
Other special tests related to dwarfism should be recommended by the treating doctor: brain imaging if necessary. The tests allow the doctor to make a clear diagnosis of the cause of the child’s short stature and to develop a reasonable treatment plan.