title: Growth hormone use in children: necessary or designer therapy?
abstract: Society often rewards the beautiful, the smart, and the intelligent. The possibility that children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) will sustain psychological damage as a result of ridicule from their peers is a concern. The desire for children to become tall adults provides a difficult quandary for parents and caregivers. Growth hormone (GH) treatment in children requires subcutaneous injections six to seven times weekly. The cost of treating with GH can be more than $52,000, and many third-party payers do not cover the cost of GH treatment. Research to date would indicate that while the administration of GH may improve final adult height in children with ISS, children treated with GH will remain short when compared with peers. More research is needed to study whether the administration of GH is beneficial for children with ISS. This article will discuss ISS and the use of GH in children.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. larjpark@gmail.com
authors.forename: Laurie Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000941:ethics*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone