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Is Increasing Height Possible After The Age Of 13?
Question: Is it time to inject growth hormone for my daughter?
Dear Doctor! My daughter is 13 years now. She is 2.8kg in weight and 48cm in height when she was born and got breast fed. She is healthy and hardly get ill. She was a picky eater before 12 and didn’t like eggs and milk. Now she eats more which reach to the average level of Chinese children. She had her first period in Feb this year, and began to develop the secondary sex character. Now she was 138cm in height and 33kg in weight. As her mother, I am 148cm and her father is 162cm (we’re both Chinese).
We have a a full test for her today. The X Ray of her left hand shows that her age of bones are about 13.6 years old. The nuclear magnetic resonance test of pituitary shows that her pituitary stalk is thicker than normal level. And her secretions are normal. I am worried about her height. I want to ask, for the her case, in which age will she stop growing tall. I'm considering about using growth hormone. Is it time to inject growth hormone to help her?
Dear Doctor! My daughter is 13 years now. She is 2.8kg in weight and 48cm in height when she was born and got breast fed. She is healthy and hardly get ill. She was a picky eater before 12 and didn’t like eggs and milk. Now she eats more which reach to the average level of Chinese children. She had her first period in Feb this year, and began to develop the secondary sex character. Now she was 138cm in height and 33kg in weight. As her mother, I am 148cm and her father is 162cm (we’re both Chinese).
We have a a full test for her today. The X Ray of her left hand shows that her age of bones are about 13.6 years old. The nuclear magnetic resonance test of pituitary shows that her pituitary stalk is thicker than normal level. And her secretions are normal. I am worried about her height. I want to ask, for the her case, in which age will she stop growing tall. I'm considering about using growth hormone. Is it time to inject growth hormone to help her?
Brief Answer:
About short stature:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
From the radiologic and hormonal results, there is no pathology causing her short stature. (even though a careful look of the hormones should be done).
To judge about the age when the growth will stop, is very important to know the growth curve of the last 3 years.
Children with familial short stature have short parents. These normal children display normal growth velocity (speed of growth over time), and their bone development is normal (as indicated by the bone age corresponding to the calendar age) (as in your daughter's case).
Children with familial short stature enter puberty at a normal time and typically complete growth with a height consistent with that of their parents.
So, from all the data we have, it is very likely that it is not a growth failure but an ''idiopatic short stature''
Short stature, is one of the most controversial indications for GH.
Many countries have different indications rather to start treatment with GH or not.
You should discuss it with the paediatric endocrinologist and decide together rather the treatment with growth should be started and the benefits it will have in your case.
Regards,
Dr.Mirjeta
About short stature:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
From the radiologic and hormonal results, there is no pathology causing her short stature. (even though a careful look of the hormones should be done).
To judge about the age when the growth will stop, is very important to know the growth curve of the last 3 years.
Children with familial short stature have short parents. These normal children display normal growth velocity (speed of growth over time), and their bone development is normal (as indicated by the bone age corresponding to the calendar age) (as in your daughter's case).
Children with familial short stature enter puberty at a normal time and typically complete growth with a height consistent with that of their parents.
So, from all the data we have, it is very likely that it is not a growth failure but an ''idiopatic short stature''
Short stature, is one of the most controversial indications for GH.
Many countries have different indications rather to start treatment with GH or not.
You should discuss it with the paediatric endocrinologist and decide together rather the treatment with growth should be started and the benefits it will have in your case.
Regards,
Dr.Mirjeta
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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