(Newswire.net — April 21, 2020) — Somatropin, better known as the human growth hormone or HGH is produced by the pituitary gland found in the brain. The main function of this hormone is to regulate, its main function is to increase height and muscle mass, and hence why it is known as a growth hormone.
Another of its functions is to reduce body fat and control the body’s metabolism. In many cases, it is possible to be born with a deficiency of this hormone, which causes different endocrine-type problems. Today it is possible to find drugs whose active component is this hormone and manage to maintain the normal level of somatropin and avoid such complications.
Human Growth Hormone in children
The age at which it is possible to determine whether a child has a growth hormone deficiency or not is 3 years old, and the most basic way to sense the lack of this hormone is a direct comparison to the height of the other children of your age. To ensure that the child may need growth hormones, the child’s bone age should be known and a doctor will perform various tests, such as insulin growth factor, the level of somatropin secretion, or other hormones that may be affected by correlation. Another test that must be carried out is that of insulin tolerance. Depending on the results, it will be determined whether a supplement is necessary to cover the possible lack of growth hormone.
There are many causes of growth hormone deficiency. Most of them are present from birth, congenital calls, but it may take several years to manifest, others may develop later acquired calls. Congenital causes include structural or genetic malformations of the development of the pituitary gland and its surrounding structures, while acquired causes, which are much less common, may include head trauma, infection, tumor, or radiation.
If a child is undergoing this hormone treatment the doses are usually administered through daily injections. The treatment usually lasts for several years, although the applications may vary as time passes if the doctor considers it necessary. A treatment that starts early is more likely to be successful than one that starts late. The child can reach normal height for his age if the process begins in his first years of life.
The treatment of growth hormone deficiency consists of the administration of this recombinant hormone using subcutaneous injections (under the skin) once a day. The pediatric endocrinologist calculates the starting dose based on weight, and then bases the dose on response and puberty.
Parents are instructed on how to administer the hormone to their child at home, rotating the injection sites between the arms, legs, buttocks, and abdomen. The length of treatment depends on how well the child’s height responds to injections of growth hormone and how puberty affects his growth. Typically, the child receives injections until growth is complete, which sometimes takes many years.
Generally, few children experience side effects due to growth hormone. The side effects that have been described are, among others, headaches and problems at the injection site. To avoid scarring, you should place the injections in different parts as mentioned. However, side effects are generally rare. Read the package leaflet for a full list of side effects.
As mentioned these side effects, although very rare, growth hormone doses can cause Headaches, fluid retention, joint and muscle aches, hip bone abnormalities, and a few others that are so rare that they are not worth mentioning.
The growth hormone generally causes an increase in height in people with a deficiency of this hormone, as long as the growth cartilages have not closed. The reason for the deficiency must be understood, and it is important to retest for it when the child is an adult because the test results for some children are no longer positive at the end of their growth.
Typically, a pediatric endocrinologist evaluates growth every 3 to 6 months and changes the dose as necessary. The best results are obtained when GHD is diagnosed and treated at an early age. In some children, GH can produce a growth of 4 inches (10 centimeters) during the first year of treatment. Other children grow less but generally grow faster than without treatment. Some need treatment until adolescence; others need it when they reach adulthood.