title: Growth hormone therapy.
abstract: Since 1958 growth hormone (GH) has been used as substitution treatment for children with GH deficiency. At present, it is clear that a dose of 0.23 mg/kg/week can lead to a final height close to target height, but in view of the wide inter-individual variation, alternative regimens based on invidualizing the dosage with the help of prediction models are being investigated. The best strategy during puberty (increase the dosage, delay puberty) is still uncertain. The value of GH in idiopathic short stature is still heavily debated, although the average final height gain on 0.33 mg/kg/week is 5-7 cm. GH is efficacious in short stature due to chronic renal failure and Prader-Willi syndrome. In other conditions insufficient data are available. There are few side-effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wit
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000150:complications; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011627:Puberty
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone