USE OF GROWTH-HORMONE IN CHILDREN WITH SHORT STATURE AND NORMAL GROWTH-HORMONE SECRETION - A GROWING PROBLEM

The ethical, economic, psychologic, social, and growth attainment outc ome issues related to the use of GH therapy in normal children with sh ort stature ave discussed. Although some short children accelerate the ir growth velocity with GH treatment, the limited available data do no t suggest a significant benefit in final height attainment. An interna tional survey of 99 normal short children treated with GH for at least 3 years reported a net improvement in mean height gain of <1 cm/year. Only in one-third was the result considered very good or good; 40% st ated that there was no benefit. Thus, it seems unlikely that GH will d ramatically increase final height in short children. On this basis, th e use of GH for the treatment of the normal child with short stature o utside of carefully controlled clinical trials cannot be recommended a t present.