Growth Hormone Deficient Children

The growth hormone is a special hormone produced by the body for regulating growth of body tissues. It is produced by the pituitary gland, which is the master gland of the body and which produces various other hormones. In children who are deficient in growth hormone, the pituitary gland does not produce enough growth hormone, affecting normal growth through infancy and childhood.

Growth hormone deficiency may be partial, in which case the pituitary gland may produce some growth hormone but it may not be enough, or the deficiency may be total, in which case no growth hormone is produced at all.

This disorder may be congenital, which means it may be present at birth due to abnormal formation of the pituitary gland. It may also be caused by any damage to the pituitary gland during or after birth, such as due to infections; brain tumours; injury, surgery, or radiation to the head. Children born with a physical deformity of the face, such as cleft lip or cleft palate are also more susceptible to have lower levels of growth hormones.

Other causes of growth hormone deficiency include decreased nutritional intake, medications, and gastrointestinal disorders, diseases that have increased metabolic demand or hypothyroidism (insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland). In some cases, there is no definite cause.

When to seek expert advise

If you fear that your child’s growth has not been at par with his or her peers, it is recommended that you seek advice from a paediatric endocrinologist working with the Children’s Hospital Service Line at The Aga Khan University Hospital. Reduced levels of the growth hormone can lead to further complications; for instance, it could affect puberty later on.​

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