Abnormally short stature with normal body proportions

Growth hormone deficiency involves abnormally short stature with normal body proportions. It is a condition of inadequate production of growth hormone.Growth hormone deficiency can be categorized as either congenital (present at birth) or acquired.It is also known as Panhypopituitarism; Dwarfism; Pituitary dwarfism.

Causes:

Receiving brain radiation treatments for cancer,severe head injury,insufficient release of stimulatory hormone from the hypothalamus,insufficient production of growth hormone by the pituitary,decrease in IGF-1 hormones, lack of oxygen at birth,diseases in the pituitary gland, abnormalities in the hormone receptors, an autoimmune attack,mutations of specific genes,congenital malformations involving the pituitary,surgery in the area of the pituitary,auto immune inflammation (hypophysitis), severe head trauma, anatomical abnormalities,deficiencies of other hormones, including: Thyrotropins (control production of thyroid hormones) Vasopressin (controls water balance in the body) ,Gonadotropins (control production of male and female sex hormones) , adrenocorticotrophic hormone (controls the adrenal gland and its production of cortisol, DHEA, and other hormones) etc.


Symptoms:

Physical and psychological symptoms, including poor memory, social withdrawal, and even depression,loss of strength, stamina, and musculature,lowed or absent increase in height ,short stature,absent or delayed sexual development in an adolescent ,headaches ,excessive thirst with excessive urination ,reduced muscle mass and strength ,reduced bone mass and strength ,reduced physical, mental, and social energy and resilience , increased amount of fat around the waist, delayed tooth development, delayed onset of puberty , low energy , decreased strength and exercise tolerance,thin and dry skin.

Treatment:

Growth hormone deficiency is treated by growth hormone replacement. The goals of treatment are to increase growth in children and restore energy, metabolism, and body composition.Usually,somatropin (Humatrope, Genotropin, Norditropin, Nutropin, Saizen, TevTropin) is the growth hormone prescribed by doctors .Other Therapy-Radiation therapy to the pituitary gland. Synthetic growth hormone can be used for children with growth hormone deficiency.

Prevention:

Review child’s growth chart and add nutritional food in diet,


Alternative treatment:

Self-Care at home, patients should eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, and get plenty of sleep.

Achondrogenesis - Rare type of growth hormone deficiencies

Achondrogenesis can be inherited as an autosomal or dominant recessive genetic trait.

Achondrogenesis is a rare type of growth hormone deficiencies that affect cartilage and bone development. Achondrogenesis is a skeletal dysplasia and a small body, short limbs, and other skeletal abnormalities are the features of this disease. As a result of their serious health problems, infants with achondrogenesis are usually born prematurely, are stillborn, or die shortly after birth from respiratory failure. The syndrome achondrogenesis results from abnormal bone growth and cartilage formation.

Symptoms:

Symptoms are : small body(dwarfism),flat face,Very short trunk, arms, legs and neck, head appears large in relation to the trunk ,Small lower jaw ,Narrow chest resulted difficulty in breathing ,short limbs, hernia, underdeveloped lungs, small chin and large abdomen short fingers and toes etc.

Causes:

Achondrogenesis is inherited, which means it is passed down through families.

Some types are known to be recessive, meaning both parents carry the defective gene and the chance for a subsequent child to be affected is about 25%. Mutations in the COL2A1 and SLC26A2 genes cause achondrogenesis.

Treatment:

There is no current therapy. Palliative care treatment is the only treatment for the achondrogenesis patients. Patient care is important.

Prevention:

Genetic counseling is an important preventive method. Ultrasound examination or prenatel molecular genetic testing is help to identify disease ,and to prevent the birth of infants with achondrogenesis. Prenatal diagnosis is done by ultrasonography and molecular studies.

Alternative treatment:

Nutritional and herbal therapy is found effective in some cases. In India Ayurvedic treatment is also said to be effective for achondrogenesis. Breathing excersice is also important to develop lungs.

Links:

http://www.enotes.com/

http://www.pioneervalleyhospital.com/

http://www.medic8.com/

http://children.webmd.com

http://www.thefetus.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.emedicine.com/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/