Question: Our son is really short for his age. He’s 12 and is just under 4 feet tall. When should we consider growth hormone?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:
If he has been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, it needs to be done sooner rather than later, before growth plates fuse. Only tests run by doctors can determine this. If you are seeing a doctor regularly, he or she has been recording growth progress from birth. They may have already suggested the options. If there is no medical or family history of short stature, and the fact that a doctor is monitoring his growth, there is no need for growth hormone injections.
Some kids just grow more slowly than others because the parents did (late bloomers), too. However, in case growth hormone deficiency has been diagnosed, in most cases, children receive daily injections for several years until they reach a maximum adult height — often within the average adult range for their family. Treatment may continue throughout adolescence and early adulthood to ensure adult maturation, such as appropriate gain in muscle or fat. The treatment may be supplemented with other related hormones if they are also deficient.