Can poor growth be an indication of kidney disease?
Kidney disease is quite rare in childhood, and only a very few children who are growing poorly will be found to have kidney disease. Usually, there will be some other cause for their growth failure.
Your child's healthcare provider can best assess the possibility of kidney disease, usually beginning with a detailed health history and physical exam. Follow-up lab tests that measure blood electrolytes, as well as a standard urinalysis, can help confirm the possibility of kidney disease. If the combination of patient history, examination, and testing do not point to kidney disease, chances are good that kidney disease is not the cause of any growth problems.
Evaluating progress
There is a lot of information available that indicates growth hormone can help patients with CRI grow. Research has shown that patients on Nutropin AQ and Nutropin showed substantial growth in the first and second years of therapy.It may take 3 to 6 months for Nutropin AQ and Nutropin to have a noticeable effect, so it's important that your child keeps his or her appointments with the healthcare team so that bodily changes can be monitored. After a few visits, it will be possible to see whether your child is beginning to grow more quickly than before therapy started.
Reference
Fine RN, Kohaut EC, Brown D, Perlman AJ. Growth after recombinant human growth hormone treatment in children with chronic renal failure: report of a multicenter double-blind placebo controlled study. J Pediatr. 1994;124:374-382.
WHO IS NUTROPIN FOR?
Nutropin® [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] and Nutropin AQ® [somatropin (rDNA origin) injection] are human growth hormone, available by prescription only.
Doctors prescribe Nutropin for children and teenagers with growth failure who:
- do not make enough growth hormone on their own
- have chronic renal insufficiency—a slow loss of kidney function—and have not had a transplant
- have Turner syndrome
- are not likely to grow to their potential adult height, as determined by a doctor, and whose bones are still able to grow
Doctors prescribe Nutropin for adults who:
- have growth hormone deficiency that started either in childhood or as an adult due to brain surgery, radiation therapy, trauma, or diseases of the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus.
Your doctor will test to see if growth hormone is right for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Nutropin and your safety:
Please read this important safety information carefully. Then, if you have any questions, talk with your doctor.
Nutropin is NOT for:
- children and teenagers whose bones have finished growing
- patients who have certain types of eye disease caused by diabetes
- patients who have active cancer or any brain tumors
- patients who are critically ill after open heart surgery or abdominal (stomach) surgery, are severely hurt, or have severe breathing problems
- children and teenagers who have Prader-Willi syndrome and are very overweight or have trouble breathing
If any of these apply, talk to your doctor before you start taking Nutropin.
If you are about to start taking Nutropin, or are already taking it, be sure to tell the doctor who prescribed it:
- about ALL of the medications you are taking, including supplements
- if you have or develop a brain tumor
- if you are given any new medication—especially cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone, or betamethasone
- if you are pregnant or if you become pregnant
- about ANY other condition or illness you have or develop
What are the possible side effects of Nutropin?
You may experience discomfort, soreness, or redness where Nutropin is injected.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience:
- ongoing injection site discomfort
- curvature of the spine (scoliosis)
- joint pain
- puffy hands and/or feet (caused by fluid retention)
- changes in vision, a bad headache, or nausea with or without vomiting
- hip or knee pain
- a need to limp when you walk
- pain in wrist (carpel tunnel)
- allergic reaction
Be sure to inject Nutropin at a different recommended place on your body each time. Your doctor or nurse should supervise the first injection and provide training and instruction.
Your doctor is your primary source of information about your treatment.
Please see the full Prescribing Information, also available from your pharmacy.
