Human Growth Hormone Side Effects in Children

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dr. David Hill and today we're going to talk about human growth hormone side effects in children. Yes, we've learned to manipulate genes. We've been able to make some amazing medications we never could have in the past. There are, for most of history, were children with syndromes like Turner Syndrome, or pituitary deficiencies or even chronic kidney disease who suffered growth retardation as a result and never reached their normal predicted adult heights. Today, thanks to the wonders of genetics, we're able to give those children artificial human growth hormones and help them come close to the height that they would have naturally achieved. As with any medication, human growth hormone has some side effects, and if your child is on or considering using it. It helps to know what those are. The most obvious and most common side effects are pain, discomfort, swelling, and even mild scarring at the injection site. These drugs cannot be given by mouth. They have to be injected into the skin or muscle and so, naturally, there's going to be a needle involved and the associated discomfort. Now, there are also some systemic signs you might look for. A child who's having a bad headache, nausea, or vomiting or has pain when light is in their eyes maybe having increased intracranial pressure. That's a build up of fluid inside the head. That can be potentially dangerous and you want to let that child's doctor know about that symptom immediately. Some children and adults get bone, joint, or muscle pains when they're on this medication. That's something that may be dealt with or it may require a change of formulation. Children can also get flu-like symptoms with fatigue, fever, chills and just general malaise while they're on the medication. Now, of course, they can also get the flu or get sick, but differentiating is something your doctor may help you out with. So, for children with diseases like Turner Syndrome, pituitary deficiency, chronic kidney diseases and other disorders of growth, recombinant human growth hormone has served a fantastic use in helping those children get as big as they should be, but there are some side effects, including the joint pain, pain at the injection site, increased intracranial pressure, swelling, and flu-like symptoms that you should be aware of. Just let your child's doctor know if he has those symptoms and is on the human growth hormone. Discussing potential side effects of human growth hormone in children. I'm Dr. David Hill."