Human growth hormone treatment is commonly used for children either born small for gestational age or with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). A child with SGA weighs less than what the doctor anticipated at birth, depending on the number of weeks of pregnancy before birth. A child with IUGR has the same condition, the difference being that a child with SGA had been birthed where a child with IUGR is still in the womb.
SGA is generally defined as children whose weight is in the lowest 10% for all children born after the same number of weeks of pregnancy. There are several factors that can cause SGA in infants, some being environmental, some being genetic, some the cause of difficulties with pregnancy, and some the cause of birth defects.
Environmental Causes Include:
The mother smoked during pregnancy
The mother drank alcohol during pregnancy
The mother took drugs during pregnancy, prescription or otherwise
The mother did not receive adequate nutrition in order to care for both herself and the fetus
Problems with the mother's health, including diabetes, kidney disease, and high blood pressure
Genetic Factors Include:
Birth defects
Abnormal chromosomes
Pregnancy Difficulties Include:
Infection
Multiple gestation
Inadequate blood flow in the placenta and uterus
Placenta detachment from uterus; low placenta attachment to uterus
SGA is generally diagnosed as IUGR before the baby is born. For children who do not naturally catch up to a normal weight and size within a few years, human growth hormone treatment may be necessary. The sooner a child is treated, the more likely they'll grow to be their natural size.
HGH promotes growth, therefore aiding your child in reaching their natural size. Once a normal weight and height has been reached, HGH treatment will cease.
