Pfizer pursues innovations that transform patients' lives with tenacity. To create a healthier world, the brand innovates daily. Pfizer recently established the website 1Click2Grow to encourage public knowledge and improve the health outcomes for kids with growth hormone deficiency.
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a growth disease associated with inadequate secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland, the 'master gland' in the brain.
Pfizer is committed to investigating the potential of technological advancements to treat the disease and significantly improve the lives of the patient. The goal of 1Click2Grow is to inform and support parents of kids between the ages of 2-10 so they can monitor their kids' growth patterns and identify early warning signs.
Growth is a helpful determinant of overall health and abnormal growth patterns may be a sign of an underlying health condition for parents and healthcare professionals. The one-minute height and weight calculator at the newly launched website allows caregivers to visualise how their child's height and weight compared with standard growth curves based on WHO growth charts. This can potentially help caregivers to notice if their child's growth is below average to seek professional support. To provide game-changing medicines and solutions, Pfizer blends cutting-edge science and a profound understanding of how illnesses operate with insights from creative strategic partnerships with university researchers, patients, and other clinicians. Let's understand better about GHD, its effects and its symptoms.
It is a rare disease that can be caused by genetic mutations or acquired after birth.1 Somatropin, the hormone that promotes growth, is secreted in insufficient quantities by the patient's pituitary gland, impairing the patient's height and delaying puberty. Without treatment, the patient will continue to experience growth failure, have a very short adult height, and experience other health problems.
Growth hormone deficiency affects one in approximately 4,000 to 10,000 people globally. It can be congenital (if caused by genetic mutation) or acquired after birth due to trauma, brain tumour, surgery, or radiation therapy. It can also be idiopathic, in which case its cause is unknown. In some cases, it can result when patients also have other hormone deficiencies, including the hormones that activate the thyroid and adrenal glands.
The symptoms include:
· Overall growth delay
· Short stature
· Maturation delay
· Headache
· Fluid retention
· Muscle and joint aches
· Slippage of the hip bone
Due to the disorder, the long bones in the extremities take longer to mature, which causes abnormal growth for the child's age.
Plotting the results on the appropriate growth chart requires precise measures of length (collected from birth until the patient is two years old) or standing height (from the age of two). To spot any development lags, the child's growth pattern should be constantly tracked and contrasted with known typical trends for kids of the same age and gender.
If a growth delay is identified, a blood test should be done to measure levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), whose levels depend on growth hormone levels. Assessment of bone age by x-raying the patient's left hand should also be performed.
Growth hormone stimulation testing may be required. This includes the measurement of growth hormone before and after the administration of certain medicines known to stimulate growth hormone.
Treatment involves daily or weekly injections of growth hormone for several years. During this time, the child must be seen regularly by the doctor to ensure that treatment is working and the dosage is correct. Older children can learn to give themselves the shot.
The earlier the condition is treated, the better the child's chances increases of growing to near-normal adult height. Typically, patients grow by four inches or more during their first year of treatment and three or more inches over the next two years. Growth then continues but at a slower rate.
If the condition is not treated, it may lead to delayed puberty and permanent short stature, as well as other metabolic conditions.
Disclaimer: The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask the advice of your Physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in this content