Growth hormone therapy is a safe and effective treatment for children with growth hormone deficiency and other growth disorders causing short stature.
Significant side effects of growth hormone therapy may include headaches, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, and swelling in the hands and feet (oedema). However, these are very rare.16 If they do happen, your child’s doctor or nurse should be informed.
The most frequent side effects are skin reactions at the site of injection, such as pain, redness, swelling, itching and bruising.45 Repeated injections at the same site may cause lipoatrophy – a large deep depression or dimple as a result of damage to the underlying fatty tissue. To prevent this, rotate the injection sites for each injection so that the skin has time to heal properly.46
