Growth hormone (GH) therapy may help your child grow to a more normal height (for
his or her age and gender), depending on the reasons for his or her slow growth.
- GH can promote growth in children with growth hormone deficiency.
- GH can promote growth in children with growth failure due to low birth weight who
don't catch up by age two.
- GH can improve growth in children with growth failure due to Prader-Willi syndrome.
- GH can promote growth in girls with growth failure due to Turner's syndrome.
As with other medical treatments, there are risks related to GH therapy. GH therapy
should not be used in patients with cancer, or in those who are receiving cancer
treatment. It should not be used in patients with diabetes who have certain types
of eye problems. It should also not be used to increase height in children whose
bones have stopped growing. GH therapy should also not be started in patients who
are ill because of surgery, trauma, or respiratory failure. GH therapy should not
be used in children with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely overweight or have
severe breathing problems.
Important Safety Considerations
The dose of diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted during growth hormone treatment.
Patients should be watched carefully if growth hormone is given along with glucocorticoid
therapy and/or other drugs that are processed by the body in the same way.
Treatment with growth hormone may increase the risk of a new tumor, particularly
certain benign brain tumors, in childhood cancer survivors. This risk may be higher
in patients who were treated with cranial radiation.
A small number of patients treated with growth hormone have had increased pressure
in the brain. This can cause headaches and problems with vision. Treatment should
be stopped and reassessed in these patients. Patients with Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi
syndrome, and chronic renal insufficiency may be at higher risk of developing increased
pressure in the brain.
Thyroid function should be checked regularly during growth hormone therapy. Thyroid
hormone replacement therapy should be started or adjusted if needed.
Patients treated with growth hormone should be checked regularly if they are receiving
standard hormone replacement therapy to treat a lack of more than one hormone.
In children experiencing rapid growth, curvature of the spine may develop or worsen.
This is also called scoliosis.
In children experiencing rapid growth, limping, hip or knee pain may occur.
GENOTROPIN should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed. It should be
used with caution in nursing mothers because it is not known whether growth hormone
is present in human milk.