There is no parent who does not want their children to grow tall and tall, and in order to achieve this wish, some parents have taken the "shortcut" - injecting their children with growth hormone!
The cost of injection in just one year is as high as 480,000 yuan!
(Source: Internet)
It is understandable that parents have a fist-fighting heart, but is growth hormone really a shortcut to growing taller?
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1. It's medicine, don't mess around if it's okay!
2. Which children need growth hormone injections?
3. There are many side effects, and regular follow-up visits are key
4. These "in-depth" exchanges with doctors are essential
5. To make a difference, persistence is key
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It's medicine, don't mess around if it's okay!
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In the background, a mother once expressed her attitude towards growth hormone: "As long as the child can grow taller than 5 centimeters, even if it is 100,000 yuan for a needle, I am willing to spend this money." ”
But what this mother didn't know was that growth hormone, which itself is a medicine, is used to treat diseases, and it can't be used indiscriminately at all.
Only when children lack growth hormone due to diseases and other reasons, and then inject the genetically recombinant human growth hormone obtained by in vitro recombinant DNA technology, which is what we often call "height enhancement injection", is useful, which can help them treat diseases and improve their height!
For short children caused by nutritional elements, genetics and other factors, indiscriminate use of genetically recombinant human growth hormone may not only not grow taller, but also may cause side effects such as carpal tunnel syndrome, skin numbness and tingling, scoliosis, diabetes and so on.
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Which children need growth hormone injections?
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As we mentioned earlier, short stature is only useful because of disease factors, such as growth hormone deficiency, idiopathic short stature, small-for-gestational-age infants, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Noonan syndrome, etc.
Because these diseases can cause children to have a common trait, that is, very short!
That...... How short is short?
Parents can compare the following table by themselves, when the child's height < P3, it means that the child's height is short, and the growth is too slow, and you have to go to the hospital immediately.
(Source: "Growth Standards for Children Under 7 Years Old")
For example, the normal height of a 3-year-old boy should be between P3~P97, that is, between 90.9~104.1cm, but if the child suffers from the above-mentioned diseases, then his height may be less than 90.9cm, then you need to take the child to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.
After going to the hospital, the doctor will also combine X-rays, blood tests and other laboratory tests, growth hormone stimulation tests and other tests, as well as professional judgment, to find out the cause of the child's short stature.
If the child is short in height due to illness, then listen to the doctor's advice, inject genetically recombinant human growth hormone, and treat the disease immediately!
If the child is in good health but is simply short, it may be caused by genetics and other reasons, and it is necessary to strengthen nutritional supplements and exercise every day.
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There are many side effects, and regular follow-up visits are key
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If a child has an indication that recombinant human growth hormone must be injected due to illness, some parents are most worried about whether recombinant human growth hormone will cause any side effects to their children.
Although the safety profile of recombinant human growth hormone is generally good, it may also cause some adverse effects in children, such as joint swelling or sodium and water retention, carpal tunnel syndrome, skin numbness and tingling, and nerve, joint or muscle pain.
Even some children will have a decrease in insulin sensitivity in the body due to genetically recombinant human growth hormone after taking the drug, which will cause high blood sugar, so it is necessary to pay more attention to children with a family history of diabetes and obesity.
For children with thyroid disease, recombinant human growth hormone may also make the condition worse.
In addition, the injection of genetically recombinant human growth hormone may also lead to scoliosis, spondylolisthesis and other diseases, so parents must take their children for regular clinical examinations of the spine!
To sum up, before taking medication, be sure to communicate with your doctor in detail!
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These "in-depth" exchanges with doctors are essential
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Before taking medication, parents can communicate with the doctor in advance about the following aspects of their child:
1. What medications your child is allergic to;
2. Whether your child is taking corticosteroids such as cortisone acetate, dexamethasone, fludrocortisone, etc.;
3. Whether the child has recently undergone heart or stomach surgery, radiation therapy to the head or brain, accidents, trauma, etc., or has sleep apnea, cancer or diabetic retinopathy, adrenal insufficiency, pancreatitis, scoliosis, thyroid, parathyroid or liver problems.
After communicating with the doctor about these conditions, the doctor will also choose the appropriate medicine for the child according to the child's weight, age, etc., start with a small dose of treatment for the child, and then gradually increase the dosage to achieve the best treatment effect.
During the medication period, in addition to taking the child for follow-up on time, parents must also strictly follow the doctor's instructions, use the drug regularly and quantitatively, and never adjust the dosage by themselves, or stop the drug!
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To be effective, it's important to be consistent
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When it comes to using genetically modified human growth hormone for children, the high cost can be said to be a stone on the shoulders of many parents. But compared to the cost, what parents are most afraid of is that they spend their own money, and the child suffers during treatment, but in the end it is useless!
Don't worry! Normally, under the guidance of a doctor, the normal use of genetically recombinant human growth hormone to treat children can see results!
In the case of Turner syndrome, it is a common sex chromosome abnormality. When a child suffers from this disease, there will be obvious growth retardation, gonadal dysplasia, etc.
If it is not treated with genetically recombinant human growth hormone, this disease will cause them to be only 135~140cm tall in adulthood, which will seriously affect their normal life and social interactions.
In the case of treatment with recombinant human growth hormone, although the height may still not reach the desired height, there will be a significant improvement compared to the height of an untreated adult.
(图源:Pexels)
For children with growth hormone deficiency, the sooner they are treated, the better the results will be achieved later, and of course, how much height they can grow will vary from person to person.
It should be noted that for children who are injected with genetically recombinant human growth hormone, adherence to treatment is a very critical part!
Some parents choose to stop the treatment for their children after a period of time due to financial pressure, but this is likely to lead to all the previous efforts coming to naught!
Therefore, for the sake of their children's future, parents must work hard to persevere!
If you forget to give your child an injection due to an accident, you should talk to your doctor about whether and when you need to give it and how much it will take.
However, it is important not to take it for granted that the child will inject himself with double dose, otherwise it is easy to cause the child to overdose, such as swelling of the hands, feet, ankles or calves, sweating profusely, and joint or muscle weakness, etc., and some more serious children may also faint, seizures and breathing difficulties, and face danger!
In the event of an overdose, parents should immediately send their children to the hospital for emergency treatment or call 120 for help.
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All in all
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Injection of genetically recombinant human growth hormone is a means to treat diseases and improve the lives of patients, rather than a "shortcut" to meet parents' personal vision of their children to be "tall and handsome".
Then again, if the child can grow up healthy and happy, what if the height is a little lower?
Source: Pediatrician Xiulan Bao