I need your idea about growth hormone shots for my small 10 years old boy.?

My 10 year son was born with Russell Silver Syndrome (RSS) which was just discover last year (2006) by the Endocrinolgist here in Phoenix AZ. he looks like a normal 6 year boy for his height & size, RSS babies are all small w/ a some body defects, hes appetite is fine, plus some good supplements like pediasure, milk & vitamins, he's very active, my question is, shall we take the doctors advice for Growth Hormone Shots? he need a shot in the legs everyday for about 6 years & not 100% guaranteed will work, I dont care if I spent money coz my son has building up insecurities already, somebody please give me a good suggestions or ideas, I got 2nd opinion from a pediatrician, & I heard a similar words,,, your answers will be appreciated....Thanks

trypdrhealth.com it may help you, theres also kidshealth.org, my son is on the small side to but i chose not to go to that extreme

You shouldn't be asking for this kind of information on the internet. Find two or three other doctors and get their opinion. Good Luck.

Growth hormones can be beneficial for RSS kids. Although they are not a 100% guaranteed they generally work well. It may improve your sons self esteem and help him to feel that he "fits in" which will be important in his upcoming puberty years. If your docctors feel that medically it is safe for him I think you should consider it.

Dont let terms like "syndrome" scare you. I would suggest finding out more about this syndrome.

Find out if it is truly a disease or if they have simply made a name for having short stature. It may be that your son is just short. (remember restless leg syndrome?)

Humans come in different shapes and sizes, your son may simply be at the lower end of the height spectrum. You said he looks normal.

Does your son have any of these body defects? The shots may only make him taller.

This will likely just be a family decision. Does your son want to be taller? Does he feel it is worth it to take a shot every day?

One more thing, try to research if there have been any past reported cases of complications from these shots. Type in the name of this medication in a medical journal to pull up case studies. ScienceDirect has access to many medical journals for a subscription fee.

I know you must be frustrated, just make sure you're only paying attention to suggestions of where to get information if you're posting on a place like Yahoo Answers rather than actually paying attention to the information or opinions. You never know whether a person answering you is a medical professional, a parent, a bored college student, or a bored child. It's not a good place for actual medical or parental advice about a serious medical matter.

If you aren't satisfied with your second opinion, get a third. Search on internet for other parents with RSS children and talk to them about their experiences. Do some research in the library. Also, if you are willing to consider the treatment at all, get one of the professionals you are working with to sit down and talk to you and your son together and see what his feelings are at this time about the treatment. It depends on your son's maturity level whether actually involving him to a great extent in the decision makes sense or not, of course.

I found at least one support group online listed below. There were also a whole bunch of other Google hits for various university hospitals when I searched under Russell Silver Syndrome. Good luck!