Restoring the hopes and dreams of
short stature children
Children diagnosed with short stature require long-term growth hormone treatment, which costs an average of 10 million KRW per year. However, it is very difficult for short stature children from low-income families to receive timely and effective treatment. Considering the despair of parents who cannot afford to restore their children’s hopes and dreams, LG Welfare Foundation has been providing Eutropin (growth hormone) to short stature children from low-income families since 1995, based on recommendations from pediatric endocrinologists.
Growth Hormone Treatment
Grown hormone treatment involves administering growth hormone to induce growth. The lack or deficiency of growth hormone can cause slow growth. Therefore, by administering growth hormone, it is possible to induce normal growth. Since growth hormone is ineffective when ingested due to degradation by stomach acid, it is administered through injections. Even in cases where hormone secretion is normal, administering growth hormone at the right time can stimulate growth. According to the results of a clinical trial conducted in Korea, when short stature children growing at a rate of four centimeters per year were treated with growth hormone, they began growing at a rate of eight to ten centimeters per year. However, injecting growth hormone into a child with no growth hormone deficiency does not have a huge impact, and becomes ineffective after the closure of the growth plate. Growth hormone injections need to be administered almost daily and continued for at least six months. Growth hormone injection are prescription-based medications, and therefore should only be given after consultation with a healthcare professional.
Candidates for Growth Hormone Treatment
When a child’s growth rate falls behind that of their peers due to growth hormone deficiency, the height difference increases significantly every year and the child deviates further from the standard height curve. It is known that the treatment of such growth disorders is most effective before puberty and at a younger age. When assessing the presence of a growth disorder, the growth rate is a key factor. Therefore, it is advisable to thoroughly monitor the rate at which the child grows each year. If the height falls within the bottom three per cent among children of the same age and sex, it indicates growth hormone deficiency that requires a medical diagnosis. Typically, if the child is the shortest or the second shortest in a class of fifty students, has at least one parent with short stature, and grows less than four centimeters per year before reaching puberty, it is advisable to seek medical attention from a pediatric endocrinologist at the earliest possible date.
About Eutropin (Growth Hormone)
Eutropin is a recombinant human growth hormone formulation developed by LG Chem. Since its launch in 1993, it has been prescribed to over 30,000 patients. It is now available at 136 general hospitals nationwide as a prescription drug with proven effectiveness and safety.
- Packaging Size1 vial (4 IU) or 5 vials
- StorageIn a sealed container at 2~8℃
- Expiry Date24 months
