Frequently asked questions
Growth hormone treatment in children
When should treatment start?
Bone growth occurs most quickly during foetal life, infancy, and puberty. It slows down significantly after the pubertal growth spurt. Any treatment given to stimulate growth must be given before this time, because after puberty, the growth plates fuse together with the bones, making any further bone growth impossible.
How long do I have to take the injections for?
Until you stop growing, which is different for everybody, but maybe at 17 or 18 years old. Your doctor may decide to keep treating you for a few years longer, to allow your bones to get as strong as they can.
When you have grown up, you may also be tested to see if you could benefit from continuing with smaller doses of growth hormone. These would not make you grow any more, but might help to keep you healthy.
How tall will I grow?
That depends! It depends on:
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How tall your parents are, as your height is inherited from your mum and dad
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How regularly you take your injections
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How young you are when you start your treatment. The younger you start, the taller you are likely to end up
You will probably not notice any difference in height until you have been on growth hormone for a few months. One of the things children and parents notice first is an increase in shoe size!
What happens if I miss an injection?
You will grow best if you have an injection every day. If you miss one every week you will not grow as fast. If very occasionally you forget to do your injection it will not make much difference – as long as it is just a one-off.
Will I be able to do the injections myself if I want?
Yes, as you and your parents get very used to the growth hormone and it becomes part of your night time routine, you may feel confident enough to give yourself the injection. Your parents may still help you with preparing the injections.
To start with a nurse will show you exactly what to do. She will give you all the equipment that is needed and all your parents have to do is get your growth hormone prescription from your chemist.
Will it hurt?
Very little. You may remember injections that you have had to prevent you getting certain illnesses. These injections have to go in quite deep, and do hurt a bit. Growth hormone injections only have to go just under the skin into a fatty subcutaneous layer. Also the needles used are very fine and short. You will feel something, but usually just a tiny scratch.
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