Growth Spurt

My daughter was always on the small side, staying right around the 25% in both height and weight. But around age ten, she began slipping on the growth charts. We were concerned and her pediatrician ordered a bone age test. This quick, painless test (an x-ray of your hand) revealed that my daughter’s bones were about two years behind her chronological age. That was good news - it meant she had plenty of time to catch up and was possibly just a “late bloomer.” We decided to keep on eye on things.

By age twelve, it was clear my daughter had stopped growing. Whereas normal rate of growth is 2 inches a year, my daughter had grown barely half an inch. She completely fell off the growth charts. She was almost a teenager but often mistaken for someone much younger. While her peers were going through major growth spurts, my daughter barely wore a girl’s size 8 and wasn’t developing.

Our pediatrician felt it was time to consult a specialist and run further tests. We were lucky in that a highly respected endocrinologist practiced fifteen minutes from our house. (Many families must travel hours or out of state.) Turns out, my daughter has Growth Hormone Deficiency, also called Pituitary Dwarfism. She began hormone treatment (daily injections) and in the last year-and-a-half she has grown 5.5 inches and put on 35 pounds. She is now back to the 25 % in height and, if she stays on her current rate of growth, she’ll likely end up a bit taller than me! She’s thrilled that she looks like the high school freshman she is and loves shopping in the juniors department and buying shoes (something she hadn’t had to do in two years).

Many people believe that HGH (human growth hormone) treatment is for cosmetic purposes only. Nothing could be further than the truth. Short stature can cause some frustrations and self-esteem issues, but growth hormone affects all kinds of internal things, such as bone development, muscle tone, fertility and heart and lung function. It has real and serious medical repercussions. I didn’t care if my daughter was short, I only wanted her healthy. Because of treatment, my daughter can now keep up in dance and taekwondo classes without getting tired or having her heart pounding out of control. She’s eating and sleeping better and getting stronger.

Why am I sharing this all today? Because today is the unofficial “Growth Disorder Awareness” Day as declared by the MAGIC Foundation. MAGIC stands for Major Aspects of Growth in Children and is a non-profit organization who helps families like mine who have children with rare conditions and diseases that affect growth. It is a fabulous group that provides a wealth of resources and who helped connect me to other moms and dads who know what it’s like to deal with shots, specialists, insurance companies, misinformed family and friends and the stress of having a child with a chronic condition.

To celebrate the day, my fellow MiGs and I are happy to announce a special giveaway and fundraising event. Here’s the deal: for every new poster who comments on this post until Oct. 7, I will donate a $1 - up to $60 in honor of the fact my daughter is now 60 inches! (You can comment more than once, of course, but we’re counting individual posters.) AND, to sweeten the deal, each poster will be entered to win a random drawing for one of the books listed below! Be sure to leave your email so we can contact you. Be sure to also let us know what your top two picks are. We’ll do our best to match desired prize to winners.

Prizes (some are new, others are gently loved):

The Literary Ladies: Guide to the Writing Life and Advice From Celebrated Woman Authors Who Paved the Way by Nava Atlas

Writing and Selling the YA Novel by K.L. Going

Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself by Eileen and Jerry Spinelli

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Pie by Sarah Weeks

Nothing But the Truth and a Few White Lies by Justina Chen Headley

So to recap: comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a book and donate $1 to a worthy charity (without opening your own wallet!) How easy and cool is that?


And one more thing, if you are at all concerned about your child’s rate of growth, PLEASE check with your pediatrician and the resources at MAGIC at www.magicfoundation.org. There’s just a short window of opportunity to act. Once a child’s growth plates close, there’s little that can be done.

Thank you!

~Carmella