Exams and Tests

• The doctor will ask about the patient’s medical history. The doctor may also ask about the heights of the child’s parents and other family members.
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• The doctor may ask about growth and maturation (the process of becoming fully developed) in family members.
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• The doctor may ask about the child’s past growth patterns. These can be obtained from the doctor’s office, schools, or even measurements taken at home.
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• The doctor may take measurements of the child’s height and weight. The best way to evaluate height and weight measurements is to plot them on a growth chart. A growth chart shows the child’s growth over a period of time. This allows the child’s measurements to be compared with the measurements of other children that are his or her age.
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• The doctor or health care practitioner may perform tests to rule out other causes of growth delay.
  
  
  • Thyroxin and thyroid-stimulating hormone to test for hypothyroidism (decreased production of thyroid hormone)
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  • Serum electrolytes to test for certain kidney conditions
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  • A complete blood count
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  • Insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulinlike growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) (proteins that depend on growth hormone)
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• X-rays may be obtained to check the child’s bone size.
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• A test to check the child’s growth hormone secretion may be performed. Insulin may be given by IV to stimulate growth hormone secretion. Measurements may be obtained over several hours.
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• A karyotype (a study of a person’s chromosomes) may be performed in girls to rule out Turner syndrome.