Beyond Height: What Your Child’s Growth Can Reveal About Their Health

(BPT) - "Wow, look how tall you've gotten!" is a phrase many children hear in their youth, as growth is typically one of the most visible aspects of childhood. But while most people associate growth with height and physical appearance, it's usually only one part of a much bigger picture.

In addition to physical stature, growth can also reflect bone strength, energy levels, and overall metabolism, which are all key indicators of how a child's body is developing and functioning. If growth in any of these areas slows or stops unexpectedly, it could signal an underlying medical condition called pediatric growth hormone deficiency, or pediatric GHD.

Growth Awareness Week, which is observed every September, encourages families and medical professionals to look beyond a child's height and consider what their growth may reveal about their overall health. It serves as a timely reminder that growth is more than just becoming taller.

Understanding Pediatric GHD

Pediatric GHD is a rare condition in which the body doesn't make enough growth hormone, a key hormone that supports physical development in children.

Affecting an estimated 1 in 4,000 to 10,000 children globally, children with GHD may be significantly shorter than their peers, fall below the third percentile on a growth chart, or show a noticeable slowdown in their growth rate over time. Beyond short stature, it can also lead to delayed puberty, low bone density, fatigue, and even cognitive, emotional, or social challenges.

"Pediatric GHD is about more than just height," said Dr. Nidhi Gupta, pediatric endocrinologist at KAP Pediatric Endocrinology, Franklin, TN. "It can impact a child's overall health. Recognizing the signs early gives us the best chance to support a child's growth and development."

Don't Overlook the Signs (or the Girls)

When something is off in a child's development, parents are often the first to notice. If your child is growing more slowly than expected, appears significantly shorter than their peers, or shows signs like delayed puberty, it's worth bringing up with your child's pediatrician.

It's also critically important that girls are considered and tested for pediatric GHD. Studies show that boys are diagnosed at higher rates, which may mean many girls are being overlooked or misdiagnosed. Assumptions that slower growth is "normal" for girls can lead to delays in care and treatment.

If pediatric GHD is suspected, your pediatrician may refer your child to a pediatric endocrinologist, a specialist in hormone-related growth conditions. Specialists can run additional testing, confirm a diagnosis, and help guide families through available treatment options tailored to their child's unique needs.

Why Early Diagnosis Matters (Now and Later)

Growth hormone therapy is most effective when started early, while a child's bones are still developing. Once growth plates close in late adolescence - typically around ages 13 to 15 for girls and 15 to 17 for boys - further increases in height are no longer possible.

But early diagnosis isn't just about helping a child grow taller, it's also about long-term health. Research shows that up to 20% of children diagnosed with pediatric GHD may continue to have the condition into adulthood. For these individuals, growth hormone replacement may still be needed to support bone health, energy, metabolism, and cardiovascular function.

Options to Manage GHD

For years, daily growth hormone injections have been the standard treatment for pediatric GHD. While effective, daily injections may be challenging for children and families to manage over time. Factors like a child's fear of needles or the need to keep the medication refrigerated can make it difficult to stay consistent. And when treatment isn't followed consistently, children may not achieve optimal results. To help address some of these challenges, long-acting growth hormone treatments were developed, which require less frequent injections.

Available Once-Weekly Treatment Option for Patients

SKYTROFA^® is a once-weekly FDA-approved prescription medication for the replacement of growth hormone in children 1 year old or older who weigh at least 26 pounds (11.5 kilograms) and adults with growth hormone deficiency. Its auto-injector was designed with patients in mind and includes innovative features such as an integrated needle guard that helps conceal the needle during injections.

SKYTROFA should not be taken if your child is allergic to it or any of its ingredients. It should also not be used if they have certain serious conditions, such as a critical illness caused by surgery, trauma or breathing problems; eye problems caused by diabetes; cancer or other tumors; closed bone growth plates; or has Prader-Willi syndrome and is severely obese or has breathing problems. For more detailed safety information, please refer to the end of this article.

A Time to Check In

If you've noticed changes in how your child is growing and developing, speak with your child's pediatrician. Pediatric GHD is rare, but with early detection and a wider range of treatment options, children can get the support they need to grow.

"When we diagnose and treat pediatric GHD early, we're not just giving a child the chance to grow toward their potential, we're protecting their overall development, confidence, and health," said Dr. Gupta. "The earlier we intervene, the more we can support them during key milestones, both physically and emotionally."

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION & USES

SKYTROFA is a prescription medicine used for:

• the replacement of growth hormone in children 1 year old or older who weigh at least 26 pounds (11.5 kilograms) with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)
• the replacement of growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)

Do not take SKYTROFA if:

• you have a critical illness caused by certain types of heart or stomach surgery, trauma or breathing problems
• you are allergic to somatropin or any of the ingredients in SKYTROFA
• you are a child with closed bone growth plates
• you have cancer or other tumors
• you have certain types of eye problems caused by diabetes
• you are a child with Prader-Willi syndrome who is severely obese or has breathing problems including sleep apnea (briefly stopping breathing during sleep)

Tell your healthcare providerif you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, about all of your medical conditions, and about all the medicines you take. SKYTROFA may affect how other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how SKYTROFA works.

What are the possible side effects of SKYTROFA? SKYTROFA may cause serious side effects, including:

• serious allergic reactions. Get medical help right away if you have swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat or trouble breathing
• high risk of death in people who have critical illnesses caused by heart or stomach surgery, trauma, or serious breathing problems
• increased risk of growth of an existing tumor or cancer, or increased risk of a previous tumor or cancer returning in people who were treated with radiation to the brain or head as children and who developed low growth hormone problems. Your healthcare provider will need to monitor for the growth or return of a tumor or cancer. Contact your healthcare provider if you start to have sudden changes in behavior, headaches, vision problems, or changes in moles, birthmarks, or skin color
• new or worsening high blood sugar or diabetes. Your blood sugar may need to be monitored during treatment with SKYTROFA
• increase in pressure in the skull. Contact your healthcare provider if headaches, eye problems, nausea, or vomiting occur
• too much fluid in the body (fluid retention). Contact your healthcare provider if you notice swelling in the hands and feet, pain in the joints or muscles, or nerve problems that cause pain, burning or tingling in the hands, arms, legs, and feet
• decrease in a hormone called cortisol. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your cortisol levels
• decrease in thyroid hormone levels. Decreased thyroid hormone levels may affect how well SKYTROFA works. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels
• hip and knee pain or a limp in children (slipped capital femoral epiphysis). This may lead to a serious condition where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply (osteonecrosis). Get medical help right away for children who develop a limp or have hip or knee pain
• worsening of curvature of the spine in children (scoliosis)
• severe and constant abdominal pain. This could be a sign of pancreatitis. Tell your healthcare provider about any new abdominal pain
• loss of fat and tissue weakness in the area of skin you or your child inject. Talk to your healthcare provider about rotating the areas where SKYTROFA is injected
• high risk of sudden death in children with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely obese or have breathing problems, including sleep apnea
• increase in phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone levels in your blood. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check this