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Peer-reviewed article

Growth Hormone Therapy for a Child With Severe Cognitive Impairment

The expansion of growth hormone therapy over the last 3 decades has allowed for treatment of short stature for more children, resulting in increased height for many. However, treatment of idiopathic short stature remains controversial.…

By John D. LantosJanuary 1, 20181 min readin PEDIATRICS

The expansion of growth hormone therapy over the last 3 decades has allowed for treatment of short stature for more children, resulting in increased height for many. However, treatment of idiopathic short stature remains controversial. Treatment decisions for disabled children with idiopathic short stature are even more complicated. We discuss a specific case of short stature in a disabled child and grapple with the ethical issues involved in the use of growth hormone.

Originally published at PEDIATRICS · January 1, 2018.

About the author

John D. Lantos is a pediatrician and bioethicist writing on AI in medicine, neonatal intensive care, and end-of-life decisions. His essays appear in JAMA, JAMA Pediatrics, the Hastings Center Report, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Aeon. Read more about John.

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