# Expert Talk| Growth Hormone Injections For Kids | Risks and Benefits

**Creator:** Kidsstoppress
**Platform:** youtube
**Duration:** 10m
**Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w

## Summary

Growth hormone injections can be a solution for children who are significantly shorter than their peers, particularly if they have a growth hormone deficiency. These injections can accelerate growth before puberty, which is crucial since bone growth potential decreases once puberty begins. However, parents should consult with a pediatric endocrinologist to determine the appropriateness and safety of this treatment.

- Growth hormone (HGH) influences height and muscle/bone development.
- Injections can lead to 1-2 inches of growth within 3-6 months.
- Used primarily for children with growth hormone deficiency or certain genetic conditions.
- Administered subcutaneously, typically at bedtime; can be daily or weekly.
- Monitoring of growth velocity and biochemical parameters is essential during treatment.
- Adverse effects are rare and usually mild; monitoring for insulin sensitivity is important.
- Treatment costs vary, and insurance coverage may be limited; consult with a pediatric endocrinologist for guidance.

## Transcript

[[0:00]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=0s)
my child isn't growing tall what if she hits puberty she'll never grow tall again I've always been short and I don't want my child to stay short what injections are these growth hormone for growth injections to delay puberty and here I have some answers for you children who are growth hormone deficient obviously qualify for growth hormone replacement for parenting tips celebrity

[[0:31]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=31s)
interviews recipes conversations with experts DIYs and lots more subscribe to kidstop press now we've seen a lot of parents talk about the growth hormone injection but we wanted to hear it from the experts so in this series that kid stop press will actually share you'll hear it from a pediatrician a homeopath and a pediatric endocrinologist but to start off with what is growth hormone injection let's try and understand in simple words the HGH as it popularly is

[[1:01]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=61s)
known influences height and builds bone and muscles essential for normal growth what parents essentially see is within 3 to 6 months about 1 or 2 Ines of growth in their child's height what is essentially doing is it is giving you that accelerated growth before a certain age now I am sure that you must be thinking has this been done before is it safe how will it impact my child's hormone and growth development I'm sure these are question questions that you

[[1:30]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=90s)
may have and these are very very valid [Music] questions hi guys so kid stop pressed raised the question what injections are these growth hormone for growth injections to delay puberty and here I have some answers for you as your child approaches puberty and if the child is on the shorter side there are ways now that we can exaggerate the growth potential by giving growth hormone

[[2:00]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=120s)
injections along with delaying puberty because once the puberty starts setting in the fusion of the bone plate start and the potential to grow is drastically less yes this may delay the periods as well and yes you are going against nature but only if the child is pathological short stature or it is severely playing on the child's mindset you can opt for these treatments but only in consultation with your pediatrician and the right recommended

[[2:33]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=153s)
pediatric [Music] endocrinologist growth hormone is provided to short children with across varied etiologies uh which include growth hormone deficiency and a host of genetic epigenetic conditions including genetic syndromes in addition to optimizing or improvising height in short children across ethology growth hormone also improves metabolic meu and body

[[3:04]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=184s)
composition in children with growth hormone deficiency and certain genetic conditions including genetic syndromes growth hormone or somatropin is also used as an adjuvent to optimize height in chronic systemic diseases commonly chronic kidney disease both before and after renal transplant as well preferably though before renal transplant children who are growth hormone deficient obviously qualify for growth hormone replacement these

[[3:36]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=216s)
children cardinally present with poor growth velocities and typical physical features in the absence of a chronic systemic disease the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency is confirmed by provocative growth hormone testing or growth hormone stimulation test which must be performed under the supervision of of an abl pediatric endocrinologist in addition to the indication of growth hormone deficiency

[[4:07]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=247s)
growth hormone also benefits children who are shorter than the third Stile for the population or those who are two standard deviations below the midparental height centile and are postulated to be short adults growth hormone also Alters the body composition favorably the metabolic meu of children with certain genetic syndromes epigenetic and genetic conditions children who are born small for

[[4:39]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=279s)
gestational age who fail to catch up by the fourth year of Life growth hormone is typically administered subcutaneously daily at bedtime these injections are relatively painless and administered either via a pre-filled pen device or in the sying and V form the parents usually administer the injections to children and are trained in the art of injection by a trained health counselor for children with

[[5:10]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=310s)
growth hormone deficiency we now have the option of once weekly growth hormone injection parents need to note that the weekly proth hormone preparation is currently studied and approved only for children with growth hormone deficiency of the primary variety the weekly growth hormone is currently being studied for its efficacy and safety across the non-growth hormone deficient indications and we still need robust data to emerge

[[5:42]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=342s)
before it can be approved for other indications while on growth hormone therapy the most important parameter that needs to be monitored by the treating clinician is growth velocity the clinician needs to ascertain whether the child is responding to growth hormone therapy or not which is gauged by an increase in growth velocity to the tune of at least 30 to 50% over the pre-treatment growth velocity in addition biochemical parameters like

[[6:15]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=375s)
insulin like growth factor one are monitored twice a year to ensure that the factor generation is within permissible thresholds for the age sex and stage of puberty of the child children with growth hormone deficiency and or children with multiple pitutary hormone deficiencies a surveillance needs to be maintained on the sufficiency of the hypothalamopituitary hormones because unmasking of deficiencies of associated hormones is

[[6:45]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=405s)
common in this group of children while on growth hormone therapy in children who are overweight obese or have genetic syndromes predisposing them to insulin insensitivity monitoring the glycemic control while on therapy is important growth hormone is a very safe molecule provided it is used where it's indicated in the right dose and the right manner under the supervision of a trained pediatric

[[7:16]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=436s)
endocrinologist adverse effects while on growth hormone are extremely rare and are to the tune of one in Thousand to one in 10,000 children who receive growth hormone these adverse effects are transient self-limiting and Mild the commonest adverse effect encountered is AES in the first two weeks of hormone therapy which occurs to the tune of one in Thousand children on growth hormone

[[7:46]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=466s)
and the adverse effect can be easily opiated by beginning therapy with 50% of the prescribed dose for the first couple of weeks and then increasing the dose to the prescribed limit in children with overweight status or obesity precipitation or aggravation of insulin insensitivity needs to be looked for while on growth hormone therapy an extremely rare condition known as slipped capital femoral epifisis needs to be thought of if a

[[8:18]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=498s)
child on growth hormone therapy presents with a limp or hip and knee pain this is extremely rare though and seen in children with disproportionate ch sters who are on growth hormone therapy nearly four Decades of experience with growth hormone tells us that it's an extremely safe molecule and there is no evidence to link it with increased risk of tumor formation either Beni or otherwise in children without such genetic

[[8:51]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=531s)
predispositions now those unfortunate children who have pre-existing genetic predispositions or genetic syndromes which predispose them to increase tumor formation must see an individualized discussion with their pediatric endocrinologists to understand the implications safety of this particular therapy in their individual case profile growth hormone therapy is relatively expensive the cost of growth hormone

[[9:23]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=563s)
replacement in children with growth hormone deficiency is relatively lesser than when growth hormone is used for short sture in the absence of growth hormone deficiency typically in India growth hormone would cost anywhere between 150 to 300 Indian rupees per unit of therapy based on whether a generic or an innovator molecule is

[[9:53]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=593s)
used presently most insurance companies do not cover outpatient based therapies including growth hormone therapy however certain sectors uh those in the Civil side and the reimbursement sector do provide assistance for growth hormone replacement for children with growth hormone deficiency and parents need to check the individualities of this therapy with their respective pediatric

[[10:26]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YjOtMCN8w&t=626s)
endocrinologists who could guide them better with regards reimbursement or insurance coverage of this therapy for parenting tips celebrity interviews recipes conversations with experts DIYs and lots more subscribe to kidstop press now