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Impact of growth hormone therapy on adult height of children with idiopathic short stature: systematic review

BMJ 2011; 342 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c7157 (Published 11 March 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;342:c7157

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The ethics & cost of GH treatment for idiopathic short stature.

An average 4 cm height gain... 1.57 inches (1) from an injectable
therapy with unknown later risks to health (2) and questionable benefit to
the individual (3).

By my calculations the cost of growth hormone for that 4cm for a
single child would provide 200,000 doses of measles vaccine or 28 village
pumps for sub-Saharan Africa. Shouldn't global ethics be considered?

1) Deodati A, Cianfarani S. Impact of growth hormone therapy on adult
height of children with idiopathic short stature: systematic review. BMJ
2011; 342:c7157.

2) J. Bell, K. L. Parker, R. D. Swinford, A. R. Hoffman, T. Maneatis
and B. Lippe. Long-Term Safety of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in
Children. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2010;
95:167-177.

3) Sandberg DE. The psychosocial consequences of short stature: a
review of the evidence. Best Practice & Research Clinical
Endocrinology & Metabolism 2002;16: 449-463 .

Competing interests: Dr Wales prescribes Growth Hormone from all current UK manufacturers for current licensed indications detailed in the BNF for Children.

21 March 2011
Jerry K Wales
Paediatric Endocrinologist
Sheffield University