If a child is born with an insufficient amount of growth hor

If a child is born with an insufficient amount of growth hormone, he or she will develop dwarfism. Do you think that such a child should be given supplemental growth hormone? What are the physical and ethical issues involved?

Solution

If the child is born with insufficient growth hormone, resulting into dwarfism can be given growth hormone supplements. The pediatricians face ethical dilemma about therapy to increase the growth in short children who do not meet the classical criteria for growth hormone deficiency. The burden of therapy, uncertainity about its long term risks, side effects or even benefits , the unclear therapeutic end point place the routine GH therapy for children outside the ethical norms.