Growth Disorders Summary Does your child seem much shorter – or much taller – than other kids his or her age? It could be normal. Some children may be small for their age but still be developing normally. Some children are short or tall because their parents are. But some children have growth disorders. Growth disorders are problems that prevent children from developing normal height, weight, sexual maturity or other features. Very slow or very fast growth can sometimes signal a gland problem or disease. The pituitary gland makes growth hormone, which stimulates the growth of bone and other tissues. Children who have too little of it may be very short. Treatment with growth hormone can stimulate growth. People can also have too much growth hormone. Usually the cause is a pituitary gland tumor, which is not cancer. Too much growth hormone can cause gigantism in children, where their bones and their body grow too much. In adults, it can cause acromegaly, which makes the hands, feet and face larger than normal. Possible treatments include surgery to remove the tumor, medicines, and radiation therapy. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Specifics Acromegaly National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Sotos Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Array Acromegaly Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome Delayed growth Failure to thrive Gigantism Growth chart Growth hormone deficiency Growth hormone test Short stature Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Acromegaly National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Failure to Thrive National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Growth Disorders National Institutes of Health Teenagers Delayed Puberty Nemours Foundation Growth Problems Nemours Foundation Treatments and Therapies Endocrinologist: What Is an Endocrinologist? Hormone Health Network Children Failure to Thrive (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Growth Disorders Nemours Foundation Growth Failure in Children with Kidney Disease National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children Hormone Health Network McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Precocious Puberty (For Parents) Nemours Foundation What Are Normal Puberty, Precocious Puberty, and Delayed Puberty? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Statistics and Research FastStats: Body Measurements National Center for Health Statistics Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Boys, 2 to 20 Years National Center for Health Statistics Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Girls 2 to 20 Years National Center for Health Statistics Find an Expert Find an Endocrinologist Hormone Health Network Hormone Health Network Hormone Health Network National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Genetics Genetics Home Reference: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Cockayne syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Floating-Harbor syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: geleophysic dysplasia National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: isolated growth hormone deficiency National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Laron syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Noonan syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Russell-Silver syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: short stature, hyperextensibility, hernia, ocular depression, Rieger anomaly, and teething delay National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Sotos syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Warsaw breakage syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Weaver syndrome National Library of Medicine Diagnosis and Tests Growth Charts (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Growth Hormone American Association for Clinical Chemistry IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor -1) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry X-Ray Exam: Bone Age Study (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Encyclopedia Growth hormone stimulation test Growth hormone suppression test McCune-Albright syndrome Precocious puberty Russell-Silver syndrome Related Issues Growth Hormone: Use and Abuse Hormone Health Network Health Alert: Adrenal Crisis Causes Death in Some People Who Were Treated with hGH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Human Growth Hormone (HGH): Does It Slow Aging? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Information for People Treated with Human Growth Hormone (Comprehensive Report) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Information for People Treated with Human Growth Hormone (Summary) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Journal Articles Growth Disorders Start Here What Is a Growth Disorder? (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
