Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency: Ethical Aspects

Opinion

J Pediatri Endocrinol. 2023; 8(2): 1061.

Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency: Ethical Aspects

Elbi Morla, MD, ScD*

Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Children Hospital Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

*Corresponding author: Elbi Morla, MD, ScD Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Children Hospital Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Email: elbi.morla@intec.edu.do

Received: September 30, 2023 Accepted: October 27, 2023 Published: November 03, 2023

Summary

The diagnosis of Growth Hormone (GH) deficiency involves measuring the concentration of this hormone at baseline and after stimuli. However, the greatest use of the hormone occurs in situations where the concentration of the hormone is normal and does not need to be measured.

The administration of growth hormone stimulants to measure it includes potentially harmful compounds and is contrary to the basic principle of bioethics of “Do no harm” when we have other parameters that together, without injuring the child, suggest that there is a deficit of the hormone so we consider these stimulus tests should be avoided.

Keywords: Growth Hormone; Diagnosis; Stimulation tests; Bioethics.

Introduction

Growth hormone was initially obtained from pituitary extract of cadavers, but the onset of Creutzfeldt-Jacob syndrome stopped this pathway and gave way to genetically engineered GH [1-5].

GH was initially manufactured for those deficient, but its availability favored its trial in other pathologies that occur with alterations in height (Table 1) [6-10].

Citation: Morla E. Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency: Ethical Aspects. J Pediatri Endocrinol. 2023; 8(2): 1061.