Growth Hormone Therapy for Kids in Modesto

A child does not have to be the shortest person in the classroom for their growth pattern to deserve attention.

Sometimes the first sign of a growth concern is more subtle.

A child who once grew steadily may suddenly gain very little height over a year. A teenager may enter puberty but fail to experience the expected growth spurt. Another child may continue dropping lower on the growth chart even though their siblings grew normally at the same age.

For families searching for growth hormone therapy for kids in Modesto, the most useful first question is usually not:

“Can my child take HGH?”

It is:

“Why is my child growing this way, and how much time do they have left to grow?”

Families throughout Modesto, Stanislaus County, Turlock, Ceres, Riverbank, Oakdale, Patterson, Salida, Hughson, Waterford, and surrounding Central Valley communities may seek specialized pediatric growth evaluation when a child's height or growth rate begins to raise concerns.

Human growth hormone can be an important treatment for children with certain medically recognized growth disorders, but short stature by itself does not establish that HGH is necessary or appropriate.[1,2]

Understanding the child's growth trajectory comes first.

Is My Child Growing Normally?

There is an enormous range of normal childhood height.

One child may consistently remain near the 10th percentile and be completely healthy.

Another may currently be near the 30th percentile but have fallen substantially from where they grew during earlier childhood.

The second pattern can sometimes be more concerning.

When evaluating pediatric growth, clinicians consider several questions together:

• How tall is the child today?
• How much has the child grown during the last year?
• Has the height percentile changed?
• How tall are the parents?
• Has puberty begun?
• Is skeletal development early, average, or delayed?
• Are there symptoms of another medical condition?

This creates a growth trajectory rather than relying on a single height measurement.

Height Percentile Is Only Part of the Story

Parents often focus heavily on percentiles.

A growth chart might show that a child is at the:

• 3rd percentile
• 10th percentile
• 25th percentile
• 50th percentile

But a percentile is not a diagnosis.

Some children naturally remain on lower percentiles throughout childhood.

What can be more important is whether the child continues following the same curve.

For example, a child who consistently tracks near the 5th percentile may simply have a shorter genetic growth pattern.

A child who moves from the 60th percentile to the 40th, then the 25th, and eventually the 10th percentile may deserve closer evaluation.

The pattern over time provides information that today's height cannot.

Growth Velocity: How Fast Is Your Child Actually Growing?

Growth velocity describes how much height a child gains during a defined period.

For many school-age children before puberty, approximately 2–2.5 inches per year is common, although expected growth changes with age and developmental stage.[2,3]

Growth normally accelerates during the pubertal growth spurt.

Parents may want to investigate further when a child:

• Consistently grows less than expected
• Has almost no measurable height change over an extended period
• Begins crossing height percentiles downward
• Does not experience an expected pubertal growth acceleration
• Appears increasingly shorter relative to family expectations

One slow year does not necessarily mean something is wrong.

A persistent pattern is more meaningful.

Why Children in the Same Family Can Grow Differently

Parents sometimes become concerned because one sibling grew quickly while another remains much shorter.

Even siblings with the same parents can have very different:

• Childhood height percentiles
• Puberty timing
• Bone ages
• Growth spurts
• Adult heights

Genetics influences height, but children inherit different combinations of genes.

Developmental timing also varies.

This means comparing siblings can raise a useful question, but it cannot determine whether growth is normal.

The child's own longitudinal growth pattern is more important.

Family Height and Genetic Growth Potential

Parental heights can help estimate a child's general genetic target-height range.

A shorter child with two shorter parents may be developing exactly as expected.

On the other hand, a child whose projected adult height appears substantially below family expectations may warrant additional investigation.

Family history can also provide clues about timing.

Parents should consider whether relatives:

• Entered puberty late
• Continued growing after high school
• Were unusually short during early adolescence
• Experienced a late growth spurt

These patterns can suggest constitutional growth delay.

Genetics should provide context for growth—not automatically explain away a concerning change in growth velocity.

Is My Child a Late Bloomer?

Constitutional growth delay is a common reason some children remain shorter than peers during childhood and early adolescence.

These children may:

• Look younger than classmates
• Enter puberty later
• Have delayed bone age
• Experience their major growth spurt later
• Continue growing after peers have slowed or stopped

Many children with constitutional growth delay ultimately experience later spontaneous growth.[4]

A family history of delayed puberty is common.

But parents should be careful about assuming:

“They're just a late bloomer.”

Other growth disorders can also produce delayed development.

The distinction is made by examining the entire growth pattern.

When Slow Growth May Be More Than a Late Growth Spurt

Certain findings may make clinicians look more closely for an underlying cause.

These can include:

• Persistently poor growth velocity
• Progressive loss of height percentile
• Significant short stature
• Abnormal laboratory results
• Delayed puberty beyond the expected range
• Symptoms of chronic illness
• Height substantially below genetic expectations

A child may still ultimately prove to be healthy.

The purpose of evaluation is to distinguish normal developmental variation from a potentially treatable problem.

Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children

Growth hormone deficiency occurs when insufficient growth hormone activity contributes to impaired growth.

Possible findings can include:

• Slow linear growth
• Falling height percentile
• Significant short stature
• Delayed skeletal maturation
• Low IGF-1 in some children

However, there is an important distinction:

Short stature does not equal growth hormone deficiency.

Many short children have normal GH production.

Diagnosis should integrate growth history, physical development, laboratory findings, and specialized testing when appropriate.[1,2]

What Is Idiopathic Short Stature?

Idiopathic short stature generally refers to significant short stature without another clearly identified medical explanation.

Children with idiopathic short stature do not necessarily have growth hormone deficiency.

In selected cases, recombinant growth hormone may be considered.

Treatment decisions may take into account:

• Degree of short stature
• Current growth velocity
• Family target height
• Bone age
• Pubertal development
• Predicted adult height
• Remaining growth time
• Expected response to treatment
• Burden of long-term therapy

Pediatric guidelines recommend individualized decision-making rather than routinely treating every short child.[2]

Children Born Small for Gestational Age

Some children who were small for gestational age experience rapid catch-up growth during early childhood.

Others remain significantly shorter.

When evaluating persistent short stature, it can therefore be important to review:

• Gestational age
• Birth weight
• Birth length
• Early childhood growth

Persistent short stature after being born small for gestational age is among the recognized pediatric situations in which growth hormone therapy may be considered when appropriate criteria are met.

Other Health Conditions Can Slow Growth

A child's height can sometimes provide clues about overall health.

Growth may be affected by conditions including:

• Hypothyroidism
• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Inadequate calorie intake
• Malabsorption
• Chronic inflammatory disease
• Certain genetic conditions
• Other chronic illnesses

This is why pediatric growth evaluation should not focus only on growth hormone.

Sometimes identifying and treating an underlying medical problem is the most important intervention.

How Growth Hormone Affects Height

Human growth hormone is naturally secreted by the pituitary gland.

Rather than circulating at the same level throughout the day, GH is released in pulses.

Growth hormone helps stimulate the production and activity of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Together, GH and IGF-1 help promote activity at the growth plates of developing bones.

A simplified pathway is:

Pituitary gland → GH → IGF-1 → Growth plates → Linear growth

The growth plates are specialized areas near the ends of long bones where bone lengthening occurs during childhood and adolescence.

As puberty progresses, these growth plates mature.

Eventually they fuse.

After complete growth plate fusion, recombinant growth hormone cannot restart long-bone growth.

Who May Be Considered for Pediatric Growth Hormone Therapy?

Recombinant human growth hormone is an established medical treatment for certain pediatric growth disorders.

Depending on the diagnosis and individual circumstances, recognized uses include conditions such as:

• Growth hormone deficiency
• Selected cases of idiopathic short stature
• Persistent short stature in certain children born small for gestational age
• Turner syndrome
• SHOX deficiency
• Certain other pediatric growth conditions

The reason for treatment matters because expected response can differ substantially between diagnoses.[2]

Two children of identical height may therefore receive completely different recommendations.

Pediatric Growth Evaluation for Modesto Families

A comprehensive evaluation does not begin with deciding which medication to use.

It begins with reconstructing the child's growth.

Step 1: Establish the Growth Trajectory

Several years of height measurements can show whether growth has remained stable or progressively slowed.

Step 2: Calculate Growth Velocity

How much height has the child actually gained during the past year?

Step 3: Compare With Genetic Expectations

Parental height helps place the child's current trajectory in context.

Step 4: Determine Pubertal Stage

Puberty changes both growth velocity and the amount of growth time remaining.

Step 5: Evaluate Skeletal Maturity

Bone age can provide additional information about biological development.

Step 6: Investigate Potential Causes

Laboratory testing or other evaluation may be appropriate depending on the growth pattern and medical history.

The result should be an individualized picture of where the child has been, where they are now, and where their growth may be heading.

Bone Age: Understanding Your Child's Biological Growth Clock

A bone age X-ray can help evaluate skeletal maturity.

Typically, an X-ray of the hand and wrist is compared with standardized references.

Bone age may provide information about:

• Skeletal development
• Remaining growth potential
• Delayed maturation
• Advanced maturation
• Puberty timing
• Predicted adult height

For older children and teenagers, this information can become particularly valuable.

Why Bone Age Can Matter More Than Birthday Age

Parents often ask whether a child is too old for growth intervention.

Chronological age alone cannot answer that question.

Two 14-year-old boys can have dramatically different skeletal maturity.

One may have delayed puberty and considerable remaining growth.

Another may have matured earlier and be much closer to final height.

The same principle applies to girls.

Therefore, when families ask:

“Does my teenager still have time to grow?”

the more useful questions include:

• What is the bone age?
• Where is the child in puberty?
• How quickly is the child currently growing?
• Are the growth plates still active?

Delayed Bone Age: What Does It Really Mean?

Delayed bone age means the skeleton appears less mature than would typically be expected for chronological age.

This can sometimes suggest a longer remaining growth window.

Delayed skeletal maturation can occur with:

• Constitutional growth delay
• Growth hormone deficiency
• Hypothyroidism
• Nutritional problems
• Chronic disease
• Other endocrine conditions

A delayed bone age is therefore information—not a diagnosis.

Its meaning depends on the rest of the child's evaluation.

Puberty Is a Major Turning Point for Height

Puberty has two important effects on growth.

First, it produces the major adolescent growth spurt.

Second, it progressively advances skeletal maturation toward growth plate closure.

This creates a biological tradeoff:

Puberty accelerates growth while also moving the skeleton toward the end of growth.

This is why puberty timing is so important when evaluating short stature.

A child who has barely begun puberty may have substantially more growth remaining than another child of the same age who matured earlier.

Delayed Puberty and Height

Delayed puberty can sometimes make a healthy teenager appear much shorter than classmates.

While peers enter their growth spurts, the later-developing child may continue growing at a slower prepubertal rate.

Eventually, that child may experience a later growth acceleration.

However, delayed puberty can also occur in association with medical or endocrine problems.

Persistent concerns should therefore be evaluated rather than automatically attributed to being a late bloomer.

IGF-1 Testing for Slow Growth

IGF-1 is commonly included when clinicians evaluate possible abnormalities in the growth hormone axis.

A low result may provide useful information.

But low IGF-1 does not independently diagnose growth hormone deficiency.

IGF-1 can be influenced by:

• Age
• Pubertal stage
• Nutritional status
• Chronic illness
• General health

Interpretation should therefore consider the child's growth pattern and developmental stage.[1]

Why One Growth Hormone Blood Test Doesn't Diagnose GHD

Growth hormone is secreted in pulses.

Levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day.

A healthy child can therefore have a very low GH concentration when blood is drawn between pulses.

For this reason, a random GH level generally cannot reliably diagnose growth hormone deficiency.[1]

When clinical findings strongly suggest GHD, growth hormone stimulation testing may sometimes be performed.

Even then, stimulation testing should be interpreted alongside:

• Growth velocity
• Height pattern
• IGF-1
• Bone age
• Pubertal development
• Medical history

No single number tells the entire story.[1,2]

Laboratory Testing for a Child Who Is Growing Slowly

Depending on the child's history, evaluation may include tests such as:

• IGF-1
• IGFBP-3
• TSH
• Free T4
• Complete blood count
• Comprehensive metabolic panel
• Celiac screening
• Inflammatory markers
• Other endocrine studies when indicated

The specific workup should be based on the child's presentation rather than ordering every possible test.

Growth Hormone Therapy for Younger Children in Modesto

When a younger school-age child is growing poorly, there may be considerable time to investigate the cause before puberty.

Parents may seek evaluation when the child:

• Grows less than expected each year
• Continues falling through percentiles
• Is substantially shorter than family expectations
• Has delayed bone age
• Has abnormal laboratory findings
• Was born small and remains significantly short

Evaluation at this stage may lead to treatment—or simply reassurance and monitoring.

The advantage is having time to understand the pattern.

Growth Hormone Therapy Around Ages 11–13

The years surrounding puberty can be confusing for parents because children who were previously similar in height suddenly begin developing at dramatically different rates.

One child may gain several inches while another seems to barely change.

For an 11-, 12-, or 13-year-old with growth concerns, clinicians may examine:

• Growth velocity
• Bone age
• Pubertal development
• Family history of puberty timing
• Genetic height potential
• Laboratory findings

This helps distinguish a child waiting for a normal later growth spurt from one who may have an underlying growth problem.

Growth Hormone Therapy for a 14-Year-Old in Modesto

Age 14 often creates urgency for parents because high-school years are approaching and height differences can become increasingly noticeable.

But there is no universal amount of growth remaining at age 14.

Some teenagers are still relatively early in skeletal development.

Others are approaching final height.

A useful evaluation may focus on:

• Bone age
• Current growth velocity
• Pubertal stage
• Growth plate maturity
• Predicted adult height
• Underlying diagnosis

Age 14 by itself does not determine whether HGH can help.

What About a 15- or 16-Year-Old?

Growth evaluation can still be worthwhile for older teenagers.

The question simply changes.

Instead of focusing primarily on whether the child is short, clinicians increasingly need to determine:

How much skeletal growth remains?

A 16-year-old with delayed skeletal maturation may have a very different growth outlook from a 16-year-old whose growth plates are nearly fused.

Once complete fusion occurs, HGH cannot create additional long-bone height.

Growth Patterns in Boys

Boys generally reach their pubertal growth spurt later than girls.

A boy who enters puberty later than classmates may temporarily appear dramatically shorter.

This can sometimes represent constitutional growth delay.

Evaluation may be helpful when:

• Puberty appears significantly delayed
• Growth velocity remains poor
• Height percentile is declining
• Predicted adult height is concerning

The combination of growth history, bone age, and pubertal stage often provides much more information than current height alone.

Growth Patterns in Girls

Girls generally begin puberty and reach peak growth velocity earlier.

Because skeletal maturation advances earlier as well, the timing of growth evaluation can be particularly important when a girl has persistent short stature.

Clinicians may consider:

• Timing of breast development
• Menstrual history when applicable
• Current growth velocity
• Bone age
• Family height
• Predicted adult height
• Remaining skeletal maturity

Again, chronological age alone cannot determine the remaining growth window.

What Does HGH Treatment Look Like?

When recombinant human growth hormone is medically indicated, treatment is generally administered through subcutaneous injections.

Ongoing medical supervision is important.

Monitoring may include:

• Height
• Weight
• Growth velocity
• IGF-1
• Pubertal progression
• Thyroid function when indicated
• Bone age when appropriate
• Treatment adherence
• Clinical response
• Potential adverse effects

Dose requirements may change as children grow.

Growth hormone therapy is therefore an ongoing treatment process rather than a one-time intervention.

Measuring Whether Growth Hormone Therapy Is Working

Treatment should have measurable goals.

One of the clearest measures is the child's change in growth velocity.

Clinicians may compare:

Growth rate before treatment

with

Growth rate after treatment begins.

Other factors may include:

• Change in height percentile
• IGF-1 response
• Pubertal progression
• Bone age
• Overall treatment adherence

If expected growth acceleration does not occur, the treatment plan should be reassessed.

How Much Height Can HGH Add?

No responsible clinician can promise a specific number of inches.

Growth hormone response depends on:

• Diagnosis
• Age when therapy begins
• Bone age
• Pubertal stage
• Baseline height
• Baseline growth velocity
• Genetics
• Treatment duration
• Dose
• Adherence
• Remaining growth potential

Children with confirmed growth hormone deficiency may demonstrate substantial catch-up growth with appropriate treatment.[1,2]

Response for other indications can vary more widely.

The goal should be establishing realistic expectations for the individual child.

Safety of Growth Hormone Therapy in Children

Recombinant growth hormone has been used in pediatric medicine for decades and is generally well tolerated when appropriately prescribed and monitored.[1,2]

As with any prescription therapy, potential adverse effects exist.

Clinicians may monitor for:

• Headaches
• Intracranial hypertension
• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
• Changes in glucose metabolism
• Thyroid abnormalities
• Scoliosis progression during rapid growth
• Joint discomfort
• Injection-site reactions

Treatment decisions should consider both expected benefit and potential risk.

Healthy Growth Is More Than Hormones

Even when a child has a hormone-related growth disorder, the body still needs the basic building blocks for development.

Nutrition

Adequate calories and protein are essential.

Important nutrients include:

• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Iron
• Other vitamins and minerals

Sleep

Healthy sleep supports normal endocrine function and development.

Physical Activity

Regular exercise supports healthy bones, muscles, metabolism, and overall well-being.

General Health

Conditions affecting the thyroid, gastrointestinal tract, nutrition, sleep, or chronic inflammation should be addressed.

Medication cannot substitute for fundamental health needs.

Growth Hormone Therapy for Kids in Modesto

Families searching for growth hormone therapy for kids in Modesto may have very different reasons for seeking help.

Some have been told their child is below the expected height percentile.

Others have noticed poor growth velocity.

Some already have a delayed bone age or abnormal IGF-1 result.

Others are simply concerned because puberty has begun and their child remains much shorter than expected.

A comprehensive pediatric growth evaluation may consider:

• Long-term growth charts
• Growth velocity
• Parental height
• Pubertal development
• Bone age
• Laboratory testing when indicated
• Predicted adult height
• Remaining growth potential

The objective is to determine whether the child needs treatment, additional investigation, or simply continued monitoring.

Pediatric Growth Evaluation for Ceres and Salida Families

Families in Ceres, Salida, and communities immediately surrounding Modesto may seek growth evaluation when a child begins falling behind in height.

Parents can prepare by collecting several years of previous growth measurements.

These records can help answer:

Has my child always been short, or is the growth pattern changing?

That distinction can guide the rest of the evaluation.

Pediatric Growth Care for Turlock Families

Families searching for a child growth specialist in Turlock may be particularly concerned about growth around puberty.

For adolescents, it can be helpful to evaluate:

• Puberty timing
• Growth velocity
• Bone age
• Family puberty history
• Predicted adult height

A child who develops later than classmates may still have substantial growth remaining.

A child whose skeletal maturation is advanced may have a shorter remaining window.

Growth Evaluation for Riverbank and Oakdale

Families in Riverbank, Oakdale, and eastern Stanislaus County may seek evaluation for poor growth velocity, delayed puberty, or possible growth hormone deficiency.

Previous medical records can make an initial consultation more informative.

Useful information includes:

• Growth charts
• Previous laboratory results
• Bone age studies
• Family height
• Puberty history
• Previous specialist evaluations

The goal is to avoid looking at the child's current height in isolation.

Pediatric Growth Care for Patterson, Hughson and Waterford

Families in Patterson, Hughson, Waterford, and other Stanislaus County communities may also benefit from specialized growth evaluation when concerns persist.

Location does not change the fundamental questions:

How fast is the child growing?

Is that rate normal?

What is causing the current pattern?

How much time remains for growth?

Those questions should drive treatment decisions.

Telemedicine for Modesto and Stanislaus County Families

When medically and legally appropriate, telemedicine may be useful for portions of pediatric growth evaluation and ongoing follow-up.

Virtual visits may allow clinicians to review:

• Previous growth charts
• Height and weight history
• Laboratory results
• Bone age reports
• Family height
• Puberty history
• Previous specialist records

Certain aspects of care may still require:

• Accurate physical measurements
• In-person examination
• Laboratory testing
• Bone age imaging
• Other diagnostic procedures

Telemedicine can help improve access while complementing necessary in-person evaluation.

Preparing for Your Child's Growth Evaluation

Parents can make a growth consultation significantly more useful by gathering records in advance.

Consider bringing:

• Previous pediatric growth charts
• Height measurements from several years
• Weight history
• Birth weight and length
• Gestational age
• Mother's height
• Father's height
• Sibling growth patterns
• Family puberty history
• Previous laboratory testing
• Bone age report
• Bone age images when available
• Current medications
• Previous endocrinology records

Growth is a process that happens over years.

The more of that history available, the easier it becomes to understand the child's trajectory.

Questions Modesto Parents Should Ask Before Considering HGH

Before starting growth hormone therapy, families should understand:

1. Is my child's growth velocity abnormal?
2. Has my child been losing height percentile?
3. Does family height explain the current growth pattern?
4. Could this be constitutional growth delay?
5. What is my child's bone age?
6. Where is my child in puberty?
7. How much skeletal growth appears to remain?
8. Are the growth plates still active?
9. Is there evidence of growth hormone deficiency?
10. Could another medical condition explain the poor growth?
11. Does my child meet an established indication for HGH?
12. What improvement can realistically be expected?
13. How will treatment response be measured?
14. How long might treatment continue?
15. What monitoring will be required?
16. What potential risks should we understand?

A family should understand the reason for treatment and the goals of treatment before beginning therapy.

Is Waiting the Right Choice?

Sometimes it is.

A child who is healthy, growing at an appropriate rate, and following a pattern consistent with family genetics may need nothing more than monitoring.

A child with constitutional growth delay may simply need additional time.

But persistent poor growth deserves an explanation.

The purpose of evaluation is not to turn normal variation into disease.

It is also not to assume every child will eventually catch up.

A growth evaluation may lead to:

• Reassurance
• Continued monitoring
• Nutritional intervention
• Treatment of another medical condition
• Further endocrine evaluation
• Puberty assessment
• Growth hormone therapy when medically appropriate

Evaluation creates information. Treatment is a separate decision.

The Growth Window: Why Timing Still Matters

Childhood height development has a natural endpoint.

As puberty progresses, the growth plates mature and eventually fuse.

Once skeletal maturity is complete, lost growth time cannot simply be restored with HGH.

That does not mean parents should rush into treatment.

It means persistent abnormal growth should ideally be understood while a meaningful growth window remains.

For some families, early evaluation confirms that no treatment is necessary.

For others, it identifies a problem that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

The Bottom Line for Modesto and Stanislaus County Families

Families searching for growth hormone therapy for kids in Modesto should focus first on understanding their child's individual growth trajectory.

Short stature may be related to:

• Family genetics
• Constitutional growth delay
• Delayed puberty
• Growth hormone deficiency
• Idiopathic short stature
• Small for gestational age
• Thyroid disease
• Nutritional problems
• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Chronic illness
• Genetic disorders

A comprehensive pediatric growth evaluation can help answer:

Is my child actually growing too slowly?

Is the height percentile changing?

Does family genetics explain the pattern?

Is my child simply developing later?

What does the bone age show?

How much growth remains?

Could an underlying medical condition be affecting growth?

Would growth hormone therapy be medically appropriate?

For families throughout Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Riverbank, Oakdale, Patterson, Salida, Hughson, Waterford, and surrounding Stanislaus County communities, getting these answers can help parents make decisions based on their child's biology rather than comparisons with classmates.

The goal of pediatric growth care is not to make every child taller.

It is to identify when growth is abnormal, determine the cause, understand the remaining growth window, and intervene appropriately when there is a medical reason to do so.

Schedule a Pediatric Growth Evaluation for Modesto-Area Families

If your child:

• Is growing more slowly than expected
• Continues falling through height percentiles
• Is substantially shorter than expected from family height
• Has delayed puberty
• Has delayed bone age
• Has low IGF-1
• Has not experienced the expected growth spurt
• Is being evaluated for possible growth hormone deficiency

a comprehensive pediatric growth evaluation can provide more clarity.

Families searching for growth hormone therapy for kids in Modesto, a child height specialist in Modesto, pediatric growth evaluation in Stanislaus County, HGH for kids in Turlock, or pediatric growth care in Ceres can begin by reviewing:

• Long-term growth history
• Growth velocity
• Bone age
• Pubertal development
• Family height
• Laboratory findings when appropriate
• Predicted adult height
• Remaining growth potential

Contact HGHforChildren.com to schedule a pediatric growth evaluation and learn more about your child's growth trajectory, remaining height potential, and whether treatment may be medically appropriate.

Medically Reviewed By

Dr. Devin Stone, ND

Dr. Devin Stone, ND is a licensed naturopathic doctor and founder of HGHforChildren.com. His clinical focus includes pediatric growth evaluation, short stature assessment, delayed puberty, bone age analysis, growth hormone deficiency screening, IGF-1 interpretation, poor growth velocity, and individualized growth treatment planning for children and adolescents.

Through HGHforChildren.com, Dr. Stone educates families about childhood growth disorders, height prediction, growth velocity, skeletal maturity, growth hormone evaluation, and treatment options for children who may not be reaching their expected growth potential.

Medical References

1. Pediatric Endocrine Society. Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Guide for Families. Pediatric Endocrine Society/American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Endocrinology Patient Education Committee.

2. Grimberg A, DiVall SA, Polychronakos C, et al. Guidelines for Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Treatment in Children and Adolescents: Growth Hormone Deficiency, Idiopathic Short Stature, and Primary Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Deficiency. Hormone Research in Paediatrics. 2016;86(6):361–397. doi:10.1159/000452150.

3. Barstow C, Rerucha C. Evaluation of Short and Tall Stature in Children. American Family Physician. 2015;92(1):43–50.

4. Pediatric Endocrine Society. Constitutional Growth Delay: A Guide for Families. Pediatric Endocrine Society/American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Endocrinology Patient Education Committee.