Human growth hormone therapy in children with growth hormone deficiency

The growth-promoting effect of human growth hormone (hGH) in children with classical pituitary GH deficiency is widely accepted (Frasier 1983). However, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose whether a child has enough endogenous GH secretion or not. Once the safety and efficacy of recombinant hGH (r-hGH) were established, it became possible to use r-hGH for the treatment of short statured children other than just those with classical pituitary GH deficiency (Spiliotis et al. 1984; Stahnke 1984).