Growth Hormones for undersized teen?

Am considering growth hormones for my 13-1/2 year old, high school freshman. He is 67lbs and could easily pass for fifth grade. Looking for feedback from anyone who has used growth hormones personally or their child. Our pediatrician mentioned that there could be side effects, such as cancer. Would like to know the name of dr. (if known), the type of hormone you used, side effects you experienced, and any other info worth sharing. And, ultimately, are you glad you did it? -Anon.

My son is a late bloomer, too. He has height, but at 14 has very few signs of puberty. I think 13.5 years is still a little young to start the hormones. Kids develop at such different rates and start at such different times.

So...I went to see a pediatric endocrinologist at Kaiser Oakland. Dr. Tam I think her name is...Really wonderful and kind woman. My son had a blood test to determine if he was deficient in growth hormones. He wasn't...just a small guy. She said 2 important things...Feed him more...he needs more bulk on his body...more fat....milk shakes, high calorie foods, etc. (having a picky eater doesn't help in this department). Secondly, she said we could try growth hormones. We got a lot of info. There was no guarantee they'd work, and they have to be given subcutaneously every day...ie: a shot under the skin. While side affects are rare, there are some very serious negative ones. My son chose not to do this. While he'll never be a basketball player (though he loves playing basketball), he'd rather just be what he's supposed to be. He is eating more now and has grown over the summer. He was thrilled to tell me that there's a kid in his class this year (new school) who is smaller then he is. That's my 2 cents. Hope it helps. I'm really glad my son decided against growth hormones. not a giant mom

5-year-old's growth has slowed significantly

My almost 5 year old boy seems to have slowed way down in his growth. We switched pediatricians when he was 3 yrs. and at that visit there was no previous growth chart to compare to - the records were being transferred. At the 4 year check up, there was no mention of a problem with his growth. now I am noticing that he is much shorter than most of the kids in his class. For the first three years of his life, he was 75% height and 50th % weight. Now I have charted him from an on-line chart and he is 25% height and around 15% weight. We are due for his yearly check up in 8 weeks, so I guess I can just wait, but it has been weighing on my mind. He is very healthy, physically active and does really well socially and academically at school, so there seem to be no obvious issues. He looks totally proportional and healthy. He does like quite a bit of sleep.

Has anyone else had a child who has changed in their growth pattern like this? Do I need to make an appointment early to have him checked out? Also, he had a CBC blood work up done a few months ago to address the excessive sleep issue(he was taking 3 hour naps) and all that came back normal. What else could be the problem? concerned mom

There are 2 types of sleep apnea - Obstructive (caused by too large tonsils, adenoids, jaw shape etc) or Central (lapses in breathing), I have read that many children have a combination of both types. There's a sleep apnea org http://www.sleepapnea.org that has a pediatric forum.

My son had the obstructive kind so he showed all the symptoms associated with that - his dr was NO help in dx this - I did if off the internet (and then was lectured by the dr about the hazards of the internet!) Once we removed his adenoids, he had a HUGE growth spurt - which is common! Imagine a growing body and brain spending 12-14 hours a day with greatly reduced oxygen!

There other thing that I've read about that can cause growth to slow is food allergies. If I wanted to check this out, personally I wouldn't take a conventional md allergist dx at their word, I would also go to an alternative type of dr and have a IgG test run and a stool test etc. anon

Two-year-old with low levels of HGH

Does anyone have experience with human growth hormone (''HGH'') deficiency in young children? Our 24 month old daughter has been a sluggish grower since birth. For the first time last month, she re-appeared on the growth charts at the 5th percentile for weight and height - she had been below the charts since shortly after birth. We have been monitoring her weight since birth with various pediatricians and endocrinologists. Two recent blood tests indicated a significantly lower-than- average presence of HGH in her blood. We are considering subjecting her to the full test, which is incredibly invasive. It involves 4 hours of observation while introducing numerous synthetic agents into her body. This makes us quite nervous - as does the prospect of an untreated dangerous condition! In trying to research HGH deficiency, I have not found much information about this aside from the periodic dumbed-down FAQ on a website somewhere. I am looking for books to read, specialists to contact, personal experiences, etc. Before subjecting my daughter to any procedure, whether it is widely- accepted or experimental or homeopathic - I want to explore it all thoroughly. If you have any information, input, recommendations, or advice, please contact me. Thank you very much! Worried for My Baby

My advice is to think through what your child might gain - or lose - from going through all of this, and make a decision based on your desired goals. Short mom of petite girl

11-year-old son has a growth deficiency

I just found out that my very petite 11 year old son has a growth hormone deficiency. A ''bone age'' test shows that his bone age is 7, which shows a deficiency. We have an upcoming appt. with a pediatric endocrinologist at Oakland Kaiser. Dr. Fan. So....anyone with this issue? How did it resolve? Why did your child have a growth hormone deficiency? Are there any risks at taking growth hormones? How many kinds are there? Did they work? Does anyone know of Dr. Fan?

I really can't do much of my own research till I find out why he has this. My son is very strong, coordinated, active, physically in correct proportion for his age....just very petite. He's about the same size as the smallest girl in his class and he's the 2nd oldest in he class. We thought he was just a slow grower adn would be a small guy..my husband and I are 5'4 (mom) and 5'6(dad) so we knew he wouldn't be a giant, but his growth seems to have slowed down at ta time when he should be shooting up. His pediatrician suggested this test as a way to start investigating. Hope to hear from some of you. concerned mom

How do I know? We started seeing her last Sept. when my daughter was newly diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. She was great and by the way- her cousin is Dr. Pelly Fan- a awesome kaiser pediatrician who my daughter also sees! It runs in the family. Good luck with your son. Mary