Discuss Slow Growth With Your Doctor (NAPSA)—A child’s normal growth is one of the key indicators of good health. Often, when a child doesn’t grow at the same pace as his or her peers, parents just assumethe child is a late bloomer, says Deborah Bowlby, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist and expert in children’s growth at the Medical sige University of South Carolina. But for somechildren, a slow growthrate is a sign of a growth disorder. Dr. Bowlby answers a few commonly questions about the problem. Q: Whyis it important to monitor a child’s growth? Dr. Bowlby asked A: In general, healthy children grow. Your child’s doctor should measure and plot both height and weight on a growth curve at every visit. Q: What are some reasons a child may not be growing? A: Children can have poor growth if they are not getting enough food or are unable to absorb nutrients from their food, as is the case with celiac disease. Children with chronic medical issues such as cystic fibrosis can also have poor growth. Some children have problems with their bones or have genetic conditions that cause them to be short. Hormone deficiencies can also cause poor growth. Q: How are growth disorders diagnosed? A: A pediatric endocrinologist should evaluate the child’s growth pattern in the context of his or her family and stage of pubertal development. If a child is short and not growing well, baseline blood tests and a bone age X-ray (X-ray ofleft hand and wrist) may be ordered to Growth is a marker of good health. assess the child’s potential for growth. In somecases, genetic tests may also be requested. If a hormone deficiency is suspected, a “stimulation” blood test may be scheduled to assess hormonelevels. Q: How are growth disorders treated? A: Growth disorders are treated by treating the underlying condition. If a child has a nutri- tional issue, he or she may need to see a nutritionist or a gastroenterologist. When there is an underlying medical condition, the child may be referred to a pediatric subspecialist. If the child has a hormone deficiency, we replace the hormonethat is missing. Q: What advice would you give to parents who think their child may have a growth disorder? A: Ifyou think your child has a growth disorder, ask the pediatrician’s office to plot his or her height and weight on a growth curve. Talk with the pediatrician about your child’s overall health and whether he or she needs to be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist. To learn more about growth disorders, you can visit the Web site of the Major Aspects of Growth In Children (MAGIC) Foundation at www.magicfoundation.org. ween een nnn nenaQEao enn Note to Editor: The above article is provided by Tercica, Inc., a subsidiary of the Ipsen Group. Ipsen is an international company that develops and markets drugs in targeted therapeutic areas including neurology, endocrinology and oncology.
