Growth hormone deficiency secondary prevention
Growth hormone deficiency Microchapters |
Differentiating Growth hormone deficiency from other Diseases |
---|
Diagnosis |
Treatment |
Case Studies |
Growth hormone deficiency secondary prevention On the Web |
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Growth hormone deficiency secondary prevention |
Risk calculators and risk factors for Growth hormone deficiency secondary prevention |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Overview
Effective measures for the secondary prevention of growth hormone deficiency include
Most pediatric endocrinologists see patients who are receiving growth hormone therapy 2-4 times per year. The most important reasons for follow-up are to monitor growth progress and to adjust growth hormone dosage. Growth rate usually increases most during the first year of treatment, with an average increase of 8-10 cm/y (often called "catch-up" growth). Progressive growth slows over the next several years (ie, waning effect). A growth rate appearing to slow more than expected should prompt investigation for a medical cause (eg, hypothyroidism) or another diagnosis (eg, inflammatory bowel disease). Follow-up may also be needed to assure patient compliance with the growth hormone injections.