Children can experience or exhibit different symptoms that can help clinicians diagnose growth hormone deficiency. But what are the core symptoms that can help clinicians diagnose the deficiency? We have listed five common signs of growth hormone deficiency in children.
- Delayed puberty
Human growth hormones are a crucial aspect of human development. They are responsible for the growth of our bones, muscles, as well as other organs in our bodies.
A child needs an adequate amount of human growth hormones to grow normally and healthily. But when a child suffers from low levels of human growth hormones, his or her development may be impaired.
This can be quite apparent in a child who experiences delayed puberty. This means the child has not had his or her onset of puberty when the age already calls for it.
For girls, for example, menstruation has not yet arrived although most other children have had their first period. A lack of human growth hormones can disrupt the proper development of the human body into adulthood.
In extreme cases, a child may not even go through puberty at all. Low levels of human growth hormones could cause many health issues later on.
- A younger-looking face
Human growth hormones are typically responsible for making humans grow from childhood into adulthood.
When a child does not have enough human growth hormones in his or her system, her development is typically slower than his or her peers.
A low level of human growth hormones can also manifest itself in a younger-looking face. A lot of people certainly think this is a good sign because looking young is considered a good thing in societies that fear getting older.
But appearing significantly younger than their age is just a small aspect of suffering from love levels of human growth hormones.
The condition may indeed cause a person to look younger than their age, but human growth hormone deficiency poses many possible health risks down the road.
If your child is still looking like a baby when he or she should already enter puberty, try to get your child checked for human growth hormone levels.
- Unusual increase in fat around the face and belly
A lack of human growth hormones could very easily cause a child to develop fat around the belly and face. This could actually be the case for adults, too.
The reason a lack of human growth hormones causes increased fats around the face and belly is that this condition messes up a person’s metabolism.
People who are diagnosed with low levels of human growth hormones are typically struggling with metabolism issues. Their body finds it quite hard to break down fat cells and some of them also deal with insulin resistance.
This insulin resistance is also caused by hypersensitivity to insulin. As such, people diagnosed with human growth hormone deficiency are highly likely to develop diabetes.
As such, when diabetes has developed, it becomes even more difficult to control obesity and blood sugar levels. Children with human growth hormone deficiency are very likely to develop diabetes in adulthood.
- Hair that grows very slowly
Since we know that human growth hormones are responsible for the growth of all parts of our bodies, one symptom of deficiency is a slow hair growth rate. The hair follicles need a lot of support to grow new hair on the scalp.
When human growth hormones are not present in abundance, the hair follicles find it hard to renew, refresh, and regrow themselves. As such, many people would notice that their hair is very vulnerable.
Extreme hair fall may be a recurrent issue, meanwhile, new hair doesn’t grow fast enough to replace the hair strands that have fallen.
On top of that, some people who are diagnosed with low levels of human growth hormones may also develop alopecia.
Alopecia happens mostly in men and it’s more commonly known as male-pattern baldness. However, the condition could also affect females it is called female-pattern baldness.
- Sluggish tooth development in infants
Since human growth hormones are responsible for the development of bones and muscles, they are also responsible for the development of teeth.
A lack of human growth hormones in infants could manifest itself as the slow development of the teeth. Meanwhile, some children will also show very concerning signs of tooth vulnerability and decay although they are only so young.
Of course, studies have shown that human growth hormones are linked to tooth maturation as well as eruption. On average, tooth development is delayed by 1 to 2 years in children diagnosed with human growth hormone deficiency.
One way to tackle this issue is by giving the child plenty of vitamin D as this also decreases their risk of developing dental caries. This means they also need to bathe in the morning sun quite often.
Talk to your paediatrician about this if you notice your child hasn’t grown teeth.
SIMILAR QUESTION
What Happens If Growth Hormone Secretion Is Deficient In A Child?
Growth hormone (GH) is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that is essential for normal growth and development in humans. Deficiencies in GH secretion can have significant consequences for children, including a slowed growth rate, delayed puberty, and an increased risk of certain diseases. This paper will discuss what happens if growth hormone secretion is deficient in a child and the effects it can have on their physical and psychological development.
When growth hormone is deficient in a child, the body is unable to produce and release enough of the hormone to support normal physical growth and development. This can cause the child’s growth rate to slow and can result in them being significantly shorter than average. The most common cause of GH deficiency in children is a genetic mutation, which can be diagnosed by looking at the child’s family history and performing a blood test.
GH deficiency can also cause delayed puberty. This is because the hormone plays an important role in the development of secondary sexual characteristics, such as facial hair, body hair, and deepening of the voice in males, and breast development and the growth of pubic and underarm hair in females. Without sufficient amounts of GH, these changes may not occur until much later than usual.
In addition to physical effects, GH deficiency can also have an impact on a child’s mental health. Children with GH deficiency may experience anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders as a result of their condition. They may also have difficulties with academic achievement and social interaction due to their low self-esteem caused by their shorter stature.
Fortunately, GH deficiency can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. This involves regular injections of artificial GH, which can help to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce and release more of the hormone. This helps to improve the child’s growth rate and can help to normalize their development.
In conclusion, GH deficiency can have a significant impact on a child’s physical and psychological development. It can cause a slowed growth rate, delayed puberty, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Fortunately, hormone replacement therapy can be used to treat GH deficiency and help to normalize a child’s development.
