Hello doctor, My son is 5'6 in height. He is 17 years old and wants to be taller. We want to try growth hormone. Is this possible? Kindly suggest the treatment.
Hello. I read your query, and from what information you have given me, it appears that your son has short constitutional stature and not growth hormone deficiency. Well, but it depends on many factors such as the mid-parental height, ethnicity, nutritional status, etc. Since he is below the third percentile for age for boys for height, I would suggest a proper work-up to rule out hormonal deficiencies such as, 1. Thyroid function test. 2. IGF-1 (insluin-growth fractor) and IGFBP-3 (insulin-like growth fractor binding protein). 3. LH (leutinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) routine tests like CBC (complete blood count), ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation arte). 4. Liver function test. 5. Renal function test.6. Urinalysis, and X-ray of left hand and wrist. If the hormone analysis comes out abnormal or in other words, there is a deficiency of any of the above hormones, and then I would suggest MRI pituitary gland. Because short constitutional stature is not a disorder but a variation in normal growth, therefore, medical treatment is not usually necessary.So I would not suggest any hormonal treatment as it will not benefit him at this age as his bones have matured by now. Although some studies do suggest the use of testosterone injections or patches to achieve growth and sexual maturation if necessary. Growth hormone is not recommended if any of the above tests turn out to be normal as it is associated with a lot of adverse effects. I hope my advice is of some benefit to you.