Growth hormone treatment

Human growth hormone (GH) was first used more than 30 years ago to stimulate growth in a child with hypopituitarism (1). Subsequently, a limited supply of pituitary glands from which GH could be extracted and purified required that GH therapy be restricted to children with the most severe and unequivocal GH deficiency (GHD). Strict, arbitrary laboratory criteria were established to identify patients likely to derive the greatest benefit from scarce GH. Delays in diagnosis and treatment, interruptions in therapy, and dosage restrictions were common during this time. Consequently, while GH accelerated growth of these individuals, adult statures were usually less than average (2-4).