Hello and welcome to the Zero Definals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about growth hormone

deficiency.

And if you want to follow along with written notes on this topic, you can follow along at

0.0.5.g.com slash G.H. deficiency or in the endocrinology section of the zero definals pediatrics book. So let's get straight

into it. Firstly, let's recap the growth hormone axis. Growth hormone releasing hormone, or GHRH, is released

by the hypothalamus. This stimulates growth hormone release from the anterior pejoratory.

Growth hormone stimulates the release of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF1, from the liver.

Through this mechanism, growth hormone works directly and indirectly on almost all the cells in the body and it has many functions.

Growth hormone is important in promoting growth in children and adolescents.

It stimulates muscle growth. It increases bone density and strength.

It stimulates cell regeneration and reproduction, and stimulates the growth of

internal organs. Congenital growth hormone deficiency results from a disruption to the growth

hormone axis at the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland. It can be due to known genetic mutations in important genes,

such as the GH1 or growth hormone 1 gene,

or the GHRHR gene, or growth hormone releasing hormone receptor gene,

or it could be due to another condition such as empty cellar syndrome,

where the pituitary gland is underdeveloped or damaged.

Acquired growth hormone deficiency, which occurs later in life,

can be due to infection, trauma or interventions such as surgery that damage the

pituitary gland.

Growth hormone deficiency can occur in isolation

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