Growth hormone for petite kids

[Anonymous]

oh wow!! I've never heard of people giving their kids growth hormones just because they are on the more petite side. I am very short at 5 ft. and am like 2 inches shorter than my mom. Part of me does wonder if it is because I was on Ritalin when I was a kid. My youngest child has always been extremely small (and pretty darn cute!!!) but he is 7 now and in the 3rd percentile. His pediatrician mentioned that we may need to refer him to an endocrinologist to do further testing. I plan to speak more with our pediatrician at his next appointment in a month, but I will be pushing for a referral to endo since I know if appropriate, there isn't a huge window when they must start their hormone injections. While my son will be wonderful at whatever height he ends up at, I do hope he is not like 5 ft or 5'2. It's not right, but studies have found that very short men face discrimination in the workplace and often end up earning less and taking on less leadership roles. If there's something medical going on and he would benefit from hormone treatment to give him a couple inches, I'm okay with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5’2” 9 year old girl - she would rather be short.

This question almost always comes up for boys only. It’s very odd that OPs example used a girl.

Hypercompetitive UMC and wealthy parents now view taller girls as a valuable asset in both athletics (which is now viewed as important for both college admissions and careers) and the marriage market. The modern ideal for wealthy people is a tall, academic, athletic kid who marries a tall, academic, athletic spouse when they are both in their 20s, upping the odds that they will produce multiple tall, academic, athletic kids of their owns. It's a weird eugenics thing but I'm not surprised some parents are willing to use drugs to cheat the genetic factor.

Middle class kids don’t need hyper competitive parents and drugs and neither do most working class or wealthy. There are plenty who are naturally tall, real athletes who easily play in D1, D3 sports. Varsity sports in high school are a given. Money can’t buy that.

I’m from a very tall Caucasian family with some cute shorties thrown in there. My aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, nieces nephews almost all have a similar height person they are dating or married. One of my nephews is 6’6” and is getting married. He found a woman he loves who is 6’ tall.

Asian people tend to be shorter, so what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that giving kids puberty blockers for supposed “early puberty” is a thing in S Korea - except the main motive is to increase height.

Early puberty stops growth, so yeah.

“Early” puberty is far overmedicalized and does not “stop growth.”

Yes it does

No it doesn’t. Puberty is not a disease - a kid gets as tall as they are going to get. Suppressing your child’s natural puberty then giving them growth hormones to get taller is extremely disordered behavior.

That’s not how it works. Precocious puberty patients do not take growth hormones. If a 7 year old normal height, normal weight starts to develop breasts or pubic hair they can use hormone blockers to delay puberty. It’s not only a physical issue, it’s also a mental health one. No one wants their second grader having her period and wearing a bra.

The hormone blockers are stopped around 11 years old and puberty restarts at a normal age, height continues as it has this entire time. Treatment is over. Growth hormones are not relevant. The child continued her height growth normally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:oh wow!! I've never heard of people giving their kids growth hormones just because they are on the more petite side. I am very short at 5 ft. and am like 2 inches shorter than my mom. Part of me does wonder if it is because I was on Ritalin when I was a kid. My youngest child has always been extremely small (and pretty darn cute!!!) but he is 7 now and in the 3rd percentile. His pediatrician mentioned that we may need to refer him to an endocrinologist to do further testing. I plan to speak more with our pediatrician at his next appointment in a month, but I will be pushing for a referral to endo since I know if appropriate, there isn't a huge window when they must start their hormone injections. While my son will be wonderful at whatever height he ends up at, I do hope he is not like 5 ft or 5'2. It's not right, but studies have found that very short men face discrimination in the workplace and often end up earning less and taking on less leadership roles. If there's something medical going on and he would benefit from hormone treatment to give him a couple inches, I'm okay with it.

Ignore those silly studies. They have those negative stories about people’s weight, baldness, eye color, women’s figures and discrimination. Another one is a negativity regarding foreign sounding names. Should every guy change his name to Sam?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that giving kids puberty blockers for supposed “early puberty” is a thing in S Korea - except the main motive is to increase height.

Early puberty stops growth, so yeah.

“Early” puberty is far overmedicalized and does not “stop growth.”

Yes it does

No it doesn’t. Puberty is not a disease - a kid gets as tall as they are going to get. Suppressing your child’s natural puberty then giving them growth hormones to get taller is extremely disordered behavior.

That’s not how it works. Precocious puberty patients do not take growth hormones. If a 7 year old normal height, normal weight starts to develop breasts or pubic hair they can use hormone blockers to delay puberty. It’s not only a physical issue, it’s also a mental health one. No one wants their second grader having her period and wearing a bra.

The hormone blockers are stopped around 11 years old and puberty restarts at a normal age, height continues as it has this entire time. Treatment is over. Growth hormones are not relevant. The child continued her height growth normally.

There is very little reason to do that - it stems from a fear of girl’s development and is deeply sexist. actual precocious puberty that needs treatment means starting at a much younger age and probably indicates an actual disease process like a brain tumor. Otherwise it is just people freaking out about early - but NORMAL - puberty in girls.

[Anonymous]

PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Messi did it and it’s basically cheating

What are you taking about? He was diagnosed with a growth deficiency and was predicted to be 4’7” without meds. How is that cheating?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that giving kids puberty blockers for supposed “early puberty” is a thing in S Korea - except the main motive is to increase height.

There have been a lot of scams promising rapid monthly growth with their treatment. Especially the clinics over there that are giving children drugs used for puberty blockers and drugs used for a growth hormone deficiency. Having a growth hormone deficiency causes a lack of or delay of sexual development in puberty. Precocious puberty is when sexual development is too early.

The two are the exact opposite so I can’t figure out how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

It absolutely does make them taller than they would be without the blockers because without the blockers they wouldn't reach their intended height (if such a thing even exists).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

It absolutely does make them taller than they would be without the blockers because without the blockers they wouldn't reach their intended height (if such a thing even exists).

Genetics verify that there is an intended height. It can be stunted by disease or famine among other variables.

If you have a child who was in the 60%tile from birth to 8 years old and you start blockers the height remains in the 60th percentile, the child goes through puberty at 12 years old and remains on her original path of 60th percentile for adult height.

If a child has been consistently on the 60th percentile since birth and gets her period at age 7, her growth pattern is disrupted and she will not reach her intended height.

No reputable doctor will give an 11 year old puberty blockers so she can delay puberty until 14 yrs old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

You’re totally wrong. These are scare tactics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that giving kids puberty blockers for supposed “early puberty” is a thing in S Korea - except the main motive is to increase height.

There have been a lot of scams promising rapid monthly growth with their treatment. Especially the clinics over there that are giving children drugs used for puberty blockers and drugs used for a growth hormone deficiency. Having a growth hormone deficiency causes a lack of or delay of sexual development in puberty. Precocious puberty is when sexual development is too early.

The two are the exact opposite so I can’t figure out how that works.

They block puberty to delay the growth spurt then pump kid full of growth hormones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

It absolutely does make them taller than they would be without the blockers because without the blockers they wouldn't reach their intended height (if such a thing even exists).

Genetics verify that there is an intended height. It can be stunted by disease or famine among other variables.

If you have a child who was in the 60%tile from birth to 8 years old and you start blockers the height remains in the 60th percentile, the child goes through puberty at 12 years old and remains on her original path of 60th percentile for adult height.

If a child has been consistently on the 60th percentile since birth and gets her period at age 7, her growth pattern is disrupted and she will not reach her intended height.

No reputable doctor will give an 11 year old puberty blockers so she can delay puberty until 14 yrs old.

There is no such thing as “intended height.” natural puberty has a broad range of ages and it is a recent trend to freak out about any sign of girls’ sexual maturation and medicalize it. There is scant evidence that this is necessary on any level (including the notion that early normal puberty has negative mental health impacts.) I started puberty in 3rd grade about a year sooner than my sister and am 2 inches shorter than her. I sure don’t think that my parents should have stopped my puberty. That’s insane.

My DS showed signs of puberty early (8) that the internet claims should be treated with blockers. But his pediatrician was unconcerned and so was I. The story is different in girls because people freak out about female sexuality in a way they do not about boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP is so wrong. Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 years old for girls and before 9 years old for boys. Girls are affected more often than boys.

There are many medical reasons to slow down the growth until 11 or 12 years old. Too early puberty can negatively affect social development. It can also put a very young child at risk to be sexually abused. When children look three or four years older than they are they can have inappropriate expectations put on them by teachers and others.

Also puberty blockers will allow girls to reach their intended height. It doesn’t make them taller than they would have been without the blockers.

It absolutely does make them taller than they would be without the blockers because without the blockers they wouldn't reach their intended height (if such a thing even exists).

Genetics verify that there is an intended height. It can be stunted by disease or famine among other variables.

If you have a child who was in the 60%tile from birth to 8 years old and you start blockers the height remains in the 60th percentile, the child goes through puberty at 12 years old and remains on her original path of 60th percentile for adult height.

If a child has been consistently on the 60th percentile since birth and gets her period at age 7, her growth pattern is disrupted and she will not reach her intended height.

No reputable doctor will give an 11 year old puberty blockers so she can delay puberty until 14 yrs old.

There is no such thing as an intended height, only a guesstimate based on family tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5’2” 9 year old girl - she would rather be short.

5'2" at 9 is not short