First it was Fake Breasts, Now It's Fake Kids

[ethics]

Well, not thoroughly fake but the image can sure be altered!
The growth hormone Humatrope (http://www.humatrope.com/index.jsp) makes children grow taller. For years, it's been used to treat children with growth hormone deficiency and Turner syndrome. But now its manufacturer, Eli Lily & Co., has taken an important step towards selling Humatrope to a much larger population. A panel advising the Food and Drug Administration recommended expanding the use of Humatrope to make healthy but short children grow a few extra inches. (http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB10552760005584800,00.html)

If the FDA accepts the panel's recommendation, Eli Lily will be allowed to market the drug to pediatric endocrinologists to "treat" a condition that is not recognized as a medical ailment. Lilly proposes to restrict the hormone to boys predicted to be shorter than 5-feet, 3-inches as adults, and girls shorter than 4-feet, 11 inches. Clinical trials suggest those children can increase their height by a few inches, (http://reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml?type=governmentFilingsNews&storyID= 2908568) enough to bring them within a standard deviation of the population mean.

Humatrope isn't without its drawbacks: Treatment requires six injections a week for two to five years, can cost $10,000 to $20,000 per child annually (health insurance plans are not expected to pay for treatment), and can have unpleasant side effects. (http://www.humatrope.com/healthcareprofs/adult/safety.jsp) Those drawbacks are likely to make a decision to use Humatrope difficult for parents, as they decide whether avoiding the stigma of being short is worth it.

 Others questions whether the "medicalization of shortness" (http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hstall113327977jun11,0,5335925.story?coll=ny-health-headlines) in healthy children is wise at all--especially given the difficulty in accurately predicting (http://www.fdaadvisorycommittee.com/FDC/AdvisoryCommittee/Committees/Endocrinologic+and+Metabolic+Drugs/061003_Humatrope/061003_humatropeP.htm) how tall children will grow without treatment.

So what say you? IS peer pressure of being "vertically challenged" (we must since the PC phrase exists for it) worth all of this? Or are we all going way too far with this?

[Steve]

The disadvantages of being short do not warrant the risks, nor the costs. We shouldn't dismiss those disadvantages, though. I'm 6'2" and have observed on countless occasions during my life where I was served first, noticed first, picked first, etc. simply because I stood above those ahead of me. Being a nice guy, I always deferred to those who were there, first :), but as an impartial observer, there is a definite bias in our society against short people. Small wonder, then, that Lily recognizes the potential.

[LissaKay]

My son, along with alllll his other issues and challenges, is short. Very short. At the age of 15 years, 6 months, he is but 4' 8" and weighs 87 pounds. I bear daily witness to the misery he endures because of this. And that misery only serves to compound the mood disorder and anxiety. Had I had the opportunity when he was younger, I would have given serious consideration to growth hormones for him, even if it only gave him a chance at achieving "normal" height as an adult. I bet if you were to ask him if he would tolerate six shots a week to gain greater height, he would tell you, "Go for it!"

I am short ... 5'1". However, for women, height is not as great of a concern on the short end, but some are uncomfortable when they reach towering heights of 5'10" and up. We tend to fret more about our fat butts and flabby thighs.

I have noticed that I am treated somewhat differently because of my diminutive size and my youthful appearance (at 39 I still get asked for ID on occasion). I often sense that I am not taken seriously, and even more often, I encounter surprise when I behave in an assertive, strong manner. I have learned over the years to use this to my advantage. ;) I may look dainty and fragile on the outside, but on the inside is pure titanium.

We judge each other initially on appearance. On first meeting, that is all we have to go on until we open our mouths or take action to indicate who and what we really are.

[ethics]

Demi, would you have used this drug?

[LissaKay]

For myself, no. Like I said, being mistaken for being timid and a pushover can have advantages if one learns to play their cards right.

For my son, a qualified yes. Seeing how depressed he is over this, and how he obsesses over his size ... but he is a special case. It seriously impacts his other issues and makes them more difficult to deal with. To just DO something to help him have a chance at being taller, to give him some hope ... yes. I would prefer to teach him to accept and deal with the body and life he has been given and become stronger because of it ... or even in spite of it.

As far as the idea that short children should be treated in general, in making "shortness" a medical diagnosis ... no. Each child, their situation and overall health should be considered individually. Ideally, we should all be able to accept ourselves as we are and not judge each other solely on appearance ... and that goes for height, weight, and skin color.

[ethics]

Thanks. We need more personal accounts like the above to understand the issue thoroghly.