GROWTH HORMONE SPECIALIST – DHA LAHORE
Short Stature Treatment
in Lahore | Dr. Rizwan Niazi
Specialist evaluation of growth hormone deficiency and short stature in children and adults, with targeted treatment in DHA Lahore.
- ✓ Growth hormone stimulation testing and bone age assessment
- ✓ Thyroid, IGF-1, and full endocrine evaluation
- ✓ 18+ years endocrinology experience
- ✓ Clinic in DHA Lahore – Mon to Sat
بچوں میں قد کی کمی اور گروتھ ہارمون کی کمی
بچوں میں قد کا نہ بڑھنا یا کم نشوونما اکثر گروتھ ہارمون کی کمی یا تھائیرائیڈ کے مسئلے سے ہوتی ہے۔ ڈاکٹر رضوان نیازی خون کے ٹیسٹ اور ہڈیوں کی عمر کے ٹیسٹ سے وجہ معلوم کرتے ہیں اور علاج تجویز کرتے ہیں۔
Short Stature and Growth Hormone Deficiency
Short stature is defined as a height more than two standard deviations below the mean for age and sex. While familial short stature and constitutional growth delay are the most common causes, a significant proportion of children with poor growth velocity have an underlying hormonal condition.
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the most important hormonal cause of short stature. The pituitary gland fails to produce sufficient GH, leading to poor height velocity, delayed bone age, and increased body fat relative to muscle mass.
Other hormonal causes include hypothyroidism, which significantly slows growth, and conditions such as Turner syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome. A full endocrine evaluation identifies the specific cause and guides treatment.
Hormonal Causes of Short Stature
Several hormonal conditions can impair growth in children. Identifying the cause determines whether treatment will produce catch-up growth.
Growth Hormone Deficiency
Insufficient pituitary GH production leads to poor height velocity and delayed bone age. GH replacement therapy produces significant catch-up growth in deficient children.
Hypothyroidism
Untreated underactive thyroid is one of the most common reversible causes of poor growth in children. Thyroid replacement normalises growth velocity.
Constitutional Growth Delay
Some children grow slowly but follow a delayed pattern, reaching normal adult height later than peers. Bone age assessment and growth velocity tracking confirm this pattern.
Other Conditions
Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and chronic systemic illness can all impair growth. These require specific evaluation and management strategies.
Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults
GH deficiency is not only a childhood condition. Adults with pituitary disorders or childhood-onset GHD may require ongoing assessment.
Fatigue and Poor Quality of Life
Adult GHD causes persistent fatigue, reduced muscle mass, increased body fat, impaired concentration, and reduced quality of life.
Bone and Metabolic Effects
GH deficiency reduces bone mineral density and increases cardiovascular risk. Treatment improves these parameters in deficient adults.
Diagnosis in Adults
An insulin tolerance test or glucagon stimulation test is used to confirm GHD in adults. These are performed under specialist supervision.
Concerned About Your Child’s Growth?
Book a consultation with Dr. Rizwan Niazi for a complete growth hormone evaluation and personalised plan.
How Growth Is Evaluated
Growth assessment in children requires specialist interpretation of height velocity, bone age, and hormone test results together. Dr. Rizwan Niazi provides this integrated evaluation at his DHA Lahore clinic.
Height Velocity and Bone Age
Growth rate over 6-12 months and bone age X-ray are the two most important tools for assessing whether a child’s growth is normal or requires further investigation.
GH Stimulation Testing
Dynamic stimulation tests (insulin tolerance test or glucagon test) measure peak GH response to confirm deficiency. These are performed under specialist supervision.
GH Replacement Therapy
Where deficiency is confirmed, daily subcutaneous growth hormone injections produce significant catch-up growth in children and improve quality of life in adults.
Worried That Your Child Is Not Growing Properly?
Early evaluation of poor growth allows treatment to begin before growth plates close, maximising the potential for catch-up growth. Book a specialist consultation in DHA Lahore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes short stature?
The most common causes are familial short stature (parents are short) and constitutional growth delay. Hormonal causes, including growth hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism, account for a smaller but important proportion of cases. A blood panel and bone age X-ray distinguish between these.
How is growth hormone deficiency diagnosed?
GHD is confirmed by a GH stimulation test (insulin tolerance test or glucagon stimulation test) showing a peak GH response below the diagnostic threshold. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels support the diagnosis.
At what age should short stature be investigated?
If a child’s height velocity falls below 4-5 cm per year, or if height is more than 2 SD below the mean, specialist evaluation is recommended regardless of age. Earlier investigation allows more time for treatment before growth plates close.
Can GH therapy increase adult height?
Yes, if treatment is started before growth plates close (usually in mid-to-late teenage years). GH therapy produces significant catch-up growth in children with confirmed deficiency. Adult height potential is greatest when treatment begins early.
Is growth hormone therapy safe for children?
Yes. Growth hormone replacement in children with confirmed deficiency is one of the most well-studied hormonal treatments. It is administered as a daily injection and monitored by an endocrinologist with regular blood tests.
Can short stature be caused by thyroid problems?
Yes. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common and fully reversible hormonal causes of poor growth in children. Thyroid function tests are part of every growth evaluation, and treating hypothyroidism normalises growth velocity.
Book Your Consultation
Visit Dr. Rizwan Niazi in DHA Lahore for a full evaluation and personalised treatment plan.
📍 Chughtai Medical Center, 154-CC Sector-DD, Phase IV, DHA Lahore
🕐 Mon – Sat | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
