The primary sign of growth hormone deficiency in children is short stature. Adults may have decreased muscle mass and increased body fat, as well as other problems such as heart disease and depression.
Growth hormone plays an important role in the development of your skeleton and muscles. A deficiency in growth hormone can affect the development of these tissues.
Growth hormone deficiency can be present from birth due to congenital issues or develop later in life from problems such as a brain injury. In childhood, the first sign of growth hormone deficiency is often irregular growth patterns relative to other children of the same sex and age.
Adults who had growth hormone deficiency during childhood will continue to have short stature. Growth hormone deficiency that develops after puberty might not affect height but can cause other health problems like heart disease, loss of muscle, and increased body fat.
This article examines the potential symptoms of growth hormone deficiency in adults and children.
Growth hormone deficiency occurs in about
Other signs and symptoms may include:
- low blood sugar levels in infants and toddlers
- small penis in newborn males
- absence or delay of puberty in teenage years
- blindness in some children with congenital deficiency
- young-looking (childish) face for the child’s age and a chubby body
Infants with severe congenital growth hormone deficiency might only have a slightly reduced birth length.
Low blood sugar may be the main sign that a child has growth hormone deficiency. Reduced height might not become obvious until they’re older and their development does not align with the expected rate.
Any problems with development in childhood will continue to persist into adulthood. For example, children with short stature will not grow taller once their skeleton is finished developing, usually in the late teen years.
If growth hormone deficiency develops in adulthood, stature will not be affected, but other health
- increased body fat around the waist
- decreased overall muscle size and strength
- decreased sweating and limited ability to regulate body temperature
- decreased insulin sensitivity
- decrease in heart muscle mass
- impaired heart function
- decreased exercise capacity
- abnormally high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels
- increased risk for fractures and low bone mineral density
- lethargy
- fatigue
- psychological or psychiatric complications such as:
- depressed mood
- reduced concentration
- anxiety
- low self-esteem
- increased sick days
- social isolation
- lack of well-being
- decreased quality of life
You may only develop some of these symptoms if you have growth hormone deficiency. It’s also possible to develop some symptoms that aren’t included in this list.
Your doctor will likely test for growth hormone deficiency if you or your child has characteristic signs.
The initial test will typically be a clinical exam consisting of a:
- review of your symptoms
- review of your personal and family medical history
- physical exam
If your doctor suspects growth hormone deficiency after these tests, they may order other tests such as:
- X-ray of the hand and wrist to assess growth potential in children
- blood tests to measure levels of hormones such as insulin-like growth factor and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3
- growth hormone stimulation test
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of your brain
The most common treatment to correct low growth hormone levels is injections with synthetic growth hormone to correct the deficiency. These injections are often administered daily in children.
Benefits of growth hormone therapy can potentially include:
- improved growth for children
- improved body composition, exercise capacity, and bone mineral density
- lower risk of cardiovascular disease
- improved quality of life
Soccer player Lionel Messi received a diagnosis of GH deficiency as a child
One high profile case of growth hormone deficiency is soccer player Lionel Messi. He received a GH deficiency diagnosis at 11 years old when doctors told his family without hormone therapy he wouldn’t grow past 5 feet. He was only 4’2″ at the time. With growth hormone therapy, he grew to be about 5’7″ tall.
Growth hormone deficiency that occurs in childhood causes short stature. It can also cause other complications, such as delayed puberty or blood sugar problems.
Adults with growth hormone deficiency may develop additional signs and symptoms such as heart disease, decreased muscle mass, and increased body fat.
It’s important to get prompt treatment if you suspect you or your child might have growth hormone deficiency or another hormonal problem. It’s often treatable with regular injections to replace your body’s low supply of this essential hormone.