Smita Imtiaz

Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children most often occurs during two age ranges. The first is around 5 years of age when children begin school. This is because parents can more easily see how their child’s height compares to the height of their classmates. The second age range is around 10 to 13 years old in children assigned female at birth and 12 to 16 years in children assigned male at birth, which are the age ranges when puberty typically starts. A delay in puberty can signal suspicion of GHD.

Growth increments are the most important criteria in the diagnosis of GHD in children. Normal levels of growth usually follow a pattern, and if growth during a recorded six- to twelve-month period is within those ranges, it’s unlikely that they have a growth condition.

Adult-onset growth hormone deficiency is often difficult to detect because the symptoms are subtle and commonplace. This makes it more difficult to diagnose.

Healthcare providers use different tests to diagnose growth hormone deficiency (GHD) depending on if you’re a child or adult.

Your child’s healthcare provider will review their medical history and growth charts to look for signs of impaired growth, risk factors for growth hormone deficiency and other conditions that can affect growth.

Other health conditions that can affect and prevent growth include:

Since growth hormone levels in your blood normally vary greatly throughout the day, a simple blood test can’t determine a GH deficiency. Because of this, your child’s provider may order the following tests to help diagnose GHD and/or to rule out other conditions that affect growth:

One of the most common tests for diagnosing growth hormone deficiency in adults is the insulin tolerance test. Insulin is a natural hormone your pancreas makes.

During this test, your provider will give you an injection of synthetic insulin to lower your blood sugar level. They will then take blood samples and send them to a lab for testing in order to measure the amount of growth hormone in your blood.

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