[Use of growth hormone in children and adolescents].

Growth hormone treatment for children and adolescents with growth disorders has been used for more than five decades. Since 1985 recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is the only drug approved for treatment. In most of the countries rhGH is licensed for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, chronic renal failure, and children born small for gestational age. The objective of the treatment is to improve the growth of these patients. The efficacy of rhGH treatment based on auxologic parameters has shown that growth response is variable and mostly dependent on each particular indication. Most of the reports on drug safety obtained from different databases that included thousands of patients, have shown that rhGH is a safe drug and that serious adverse events are rare. Regarding new indications to improve height in children, data on efficacy remains controversial, so we believe their ultimate indication must take into account potential risk versus benefits of this treatment.