Is growth hormone used to help children that are bigger than they should be for their age?
The question is, on the surface, counterintuitive since Growth Hormone is given to make children grow. However, there could be a child growing above the 95th percentile who has a pituitary tumor or some other condition whose treatment renders him or her hypopituitary, or at least growth hormone deficient. This child would be eligible for growth hormone replacement to assure normal future growth. There is no reason to allow the child to go untreated and to progressively fall into lower percentiles, or below the 5th percentile, in order to initiate growth hormone replacement. If there is an individual that the respondent has in mind, he or she should give more details on that child and I’ll try to address that situation specifically.
