Growing Fears

Radley Balko had this to say about yesterday?s post on the possible FDA approval of growth hormone for short, healthy children. He?s assuming that Humatrope amounts to child abuse, and offers a story about hyper-competitive parents trying to squeeze an athlete out of inadequate DNA.

In fact, the argument has nothing to do with kids who have a shot at becoming the next Shaquille O?Neal. A quick read through the original article reveals that Eli Lily & Co., the company seeking approval, only wants permission to use growth hormone on boys predicted to be shorter than 5-feet, 3 inches and girls shorter than 4-feet, 11 inches. It?s not an issue of wanting to dominate on the basketball court; many of these kids will never be able to drive a normal sized car. The drug will only help children attain the average heights for their respective ages, not a competitive edge over their peers.

From what I?ve read, the violent reaction the post mentions isn?t at all typical. This article mentions only ?mild side effects" such as joint aches. In fact, a study from UNC Chapel Hill claims that growth hormone effectively alleviates behavioral problems. Pathologically short kids tend to experience ?emotional and psychological problems associated with anxiety, depression and attention deficit." As with Ritalin, the literature is full of testimonials from kids who say it?s helped them out tremendously.