Expert Endocrinology Care for Kids
Pediatric endocrinology focuses on disorders of the endocrine glands and the effects of the hormones released by these glands. Children and teenagers are different from adults and require specialized care. The pediatric endocrinologists at KIDZ Medical are trained to address any specific health need.
Comprehensive Care for Hormonal Disorders in Children and Teenagers
This is especially important because growth and development during the formative years can affect a child for the rest of his or her life. Hormones play a significant role in the growth of a child. Pediatric endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and manage a variety of hormonal disorders in children and teenagers including:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Growth disorders
- Early or delayed puberty
- Thyroid abnormalities, including enlarged thyroid gland and overactive or underactive thyroid gland
- Underactive or overactive pituitary and adrenal glands
- Testicular and ovarian dysfunction
- Intersex/ambiguous genitals
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Obesity
- Rickets, hypocalcemia, and other problems with vitamin D
- Other endocrine disorders
Growth Hormone Deficiency Treatment
One of the more common conditions we treat is childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency.
Growth hormone, which is produced at the base of the brain in the pituitary gland and transported throughout the body, is essential for your child’s development. If your child is deficient in this hormone (has less than normal amounts), it can slow down his or her growth and reduce your child’s final height.
Childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency can be a birth defect in one out of every 3,800 babies or a condition that is acquired later in life as the result of a brain tumor, brain operation, radiation therapy, injury, or infection.
Symptoms of childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency in newborns may include low blood sugar levels or yellowish skin color. In early and later childhood, it is identified as slow growth compared with other children of the same age.
Childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency can be diagnosed with specific blood tests and an X-ray of your child’s bones. The best method is to stimulate the release of growth hormone and then check the levels over a 2-3 hour period of time. The condition can then be treated with growth hormone injections monitored and administered by a pediatric endocrinologist.
If your pediatrician or family doctor recommends that your child see a doctor who specializes in endocrine and metabolic disorders in children, trust the experts at KIDZ Medical Services. Call to make an appointment with one of our pediatric endocrinologists or request an appointment online.
