Does your child seem much shorter - or much taller - than other kids his or her age? It could be normal, or it could be a sign of a problem. Very slow or very fast growth can sometimes signal a gland problem or disease.
The pituitary gland makes growth hormone, which stimulates the growth of bone and other tissues. Children who have too little of it may be very short. Treatment with growth hormone can stimulate growth.
People can also have too much growth hormone. Usually the cause is a pituitary gland tumor, which is not cancer. Too much growth hormone can cause gigantism in children, where their bones and their body grow too much. In adults, it can cause acromegaly, which makes the hands, feet and face larger than normal. Possible treatments include surgery to remove the tumor, medicines and radiation therapy.
- Children's Growth Abnormalities- An Overview(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/11.834/childrens-growth.html
- What Is a Growth Disorder?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/endocrine/growth_disorder.html
- Growth Disorders Overview(Hormone Foundation) - http://www.hormone.org/Growth/overview.cfm
- Patient Guide to Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults(Hormone Foundation, Endocrine Society) - Links to PDF - http://www.hormone.org/Resources/Patient_Guides/upload/GH_for_Adults_Patient_Guide.pdf
- Growth Charts(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/growth_charts.html
- Growth Hormone(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/growth_hormone/test.html
- IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor -1) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/igf1/test.html
- Get the Facts: Growth Hormone Issues in Children and Adults(Hormone Foundation) - Large PDF file - http://www.hormone.org/Resources/upload/GHIssuesinChildrenandAdults.pdf
- Growth Hormone Therapy - Questions(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/11.835/growth_hormone_questions_children-short-small-shots.html
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Information for People Treated with Human Growth Hormone (Summary)
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/creutz/update.htm
- About BWS (Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome)(Washington University, School of Medicine) - http://aladdin.wustl.edu/bws/bwsp.nsf/0ee53e934810efcd86256a94005e5f7d/aa06f9643a7eb5c086256b79007d34f5?OpenDocument
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Acromegaly(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/acro/acro.htm
- Panhypopituitarism(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/110/panhypopituitarism_tumors.html
- Russell-Silver Syndrome(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/112/russel_silver_syndrome.html
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Sotos Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sotos/sotos.htm
- Dental Problems Associated with Growth Hormone Deficiency(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/108.24/ghd_children_dental.html
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Health Alert: Adrenal Crisis Causes Death in Some People Who Were Treated with hGH(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/creutz/alert.htm
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What Is an Endocrinologist?(Hormone Foundation) - http://www.hormone.org/public/endocrinologist.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.hormone.org/Spanish/que_es_un_endocrinologo.cfm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Acromegaly(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Acromegaly%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Growth Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Growth+Disorders%22
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Genetics Home Reference: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=beckwithwiedemannsyndrome
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Genetics Home Reference: Cockayne syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=cockaynesyndrome
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Genetics Home Reference: Russell-Silver syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=russellsilversyndrome
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Genetics Home Reference: Sotos syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=sotossyndrome
- Growth Problems Before Birth Increase Risk for Hypertension(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/iugr_hypertension.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Tibial lengthening over an intramedullary nail with use of the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762658&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Asthma control during pregnancy and the risk of preterm delivery... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18727468&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Usefulness of growth hormone (GH) stimulation tests and IGF-I concentration... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18717243&tool=MedlinePlus
- Growth Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(growth+disorders[majr]+OR+gigantism[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Terms for Parents: Medical Dictionary (Growth Disorders)(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/12.801/
- AACE Physician Finder(American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) - http://www.aace.com/resources/memsearch.php
- MAGIC Foundation - http://www.magicfoundation.org/
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
- FASTATS: Body Measurements(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm
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Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Boys, 2 to 20 Years(National Center for Health Statistics) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthcharts/set1clinical/cj41l021.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthcharts/Spanishpdf95/co06l021.pdf
- Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Girls 2 to 20 Young(National Center for Health Statistics) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthcharts/set1clinical/cj41l022.pdf
- Central Precocious Puberty(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/146/
- Constitutional Growth Delay(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/10.1066
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Failure to Thrive(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/weight/failure_thrive.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/nutricion/failure_thrive_esp.html
- Failure to Thrive(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/176
- Growth Disorders(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/body_stuff/growth_disorders.html
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Growth Failure in Children with Kidney Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/childkidneydiseases/growthfailure/
- Growth Hormone Deficiency(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/108/growth_hormone_deficiency_in_children.html
- Growth Problems(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site2197/mainpageS2197P0.html
- Idiopathic Short Stature: What You Need to Know(Hormone Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.hormone.org/Resources/Growth/upload/Idiopathic_Short_Stature_factsheet.pdf
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Deficiency / IGF-1(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/978.1035/
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Intrauterine Growth Restriction: When Your Baby Stops Growing Before Birth(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/pregnancy/fetal/313.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/women/pregnancy/fetal/313.printerview.html
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McCune-Albright Syndrome(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/mccune_albright_syndrome.cfm
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Precocious Puberty(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/precocious_puberty.cfm
- Psychosocial Issues of Growth Delayed Children(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/11.1050/children-mental-problems.html
- Small for Gestational Age (SGA)(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/113.1518/small_gestational_age.html
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Delayed Puberty(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/changing_body/delayed_puberty.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/sexual/delayed_puberty_esp.html
- Growth Problems(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/growth/growth_hormone.html
- Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/105
- Dwarfism - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dwarfism.html
- Endocrine Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinediseases.html
- Hormones - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hormones.html
- Pituitary Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pituitarydisorders.html
- Turner Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/turnersyndrome.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Growth Disorders is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/