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What Is Idiopathic Short Stature?

When a child is significantly shorter than other children of the same age and there is no known cause, the child is considered to have Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS).

Growth in children can vary due to genetics, gender, nutrition, and hormones. To be diagnosed with ISS, a child must have no other related medical conditions and a height that is shorter than a great majority (about 97%) of other children of the same gender and age.

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What causes ISS?

Short stature in a child may be caused by a number of underlying factors, including familial height, diet, and medical conditions. But sometimes, the cause is unknown. ISS is the term used for short stature for which a cause has not been identified. Children with ISS are often in good health otherwise.
 


Signs and symptoms

As your child grows, it can be normal to notice differences in their height and weight compared with other children in their class or at the playground. Healthy children come in all shapes and sizes. Being on the short side isn’t necessarily a medical concern. Doctors evaluate a child’s growth charts in the context of their overall well-being, environment, and genetic background. That said, a few different growth chart patterns might signal a problem.

Talk with your child’s doctor if:

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Your child’s rate of growth
has significantly slowed.

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They are not getting taller
at the same rate at which
they’re gaining weight.

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A doctor explains to a smiling teenage girl how to take Omnitrope


Testing and Diagnosis
 

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Talk with your pediatrician if you’re
concerned about your child’s height.

Questions you might want to ask may include:


Is my child in the appropriate range of height for their age?
 


Height aside, is my child in good health?

 


Is my child at an appropriate stage of puberty for their age?
 

If the healthcare provider shares your concerns, they may decide to take specific measurements by X-ray or perform a blood test. Depending on the results, your child may also be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist.

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Testing Early Is Important

With ISS, early diagnosis is important. After puberty, a child’s growth plates close, so the window of opportunity for any potential treatment is limited.

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Treatment

If your child is diagnosed with ISS, your doctor may recommend growth hormone treatment. Human growth hormone is approved for the treatment of ISS in children who meet specific medical criteria and whose adult height is expected to be below normal.

Omnitrope is a human growth hormone treatment
for growth hormone-related disorders, including ISS.

Learn more about Omnitrope
In the foreground, a smiling boy in a gray sweater and a bicycle helmet on his head. In the background, a man riding behind him on a bicycle.

Prognosis

Some children experience a psychological burden associated with shortness, for which counseling is recommended. Children with ISS often remain short in adult life.

If ISS is to be treated effectively, the potential benefits and risks need to be considered.

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Health and support

Advocacy groups can provide information for you or for loved ones who have been diagnosed with ISS.

Find support groups


Questions about Omnitrope?

FAQs

To learn more about Omnitrope and our comprehensive patient support services, see our FAQ page for frequently asked questions about Omnitrope.

 

Read FAQs

Contact Us

You can also call our OmniSource team at the number below. We can walk you through the process of getting started with Omnitrope.

Available: Monday – Friday, 8AM – 8PM ET

Phone: 877-456-6794

 

Indications and Important Safety Information

Indications
Omnitrope is a prescription medicine that contains human growth hormone and is used to treat:

  • Children with growth failure due to growth hormone deficiency (GHD), Prader-Willi Syndrome, Small for Gestational Age, Turner Syndrome, and Idiopathic Short Stature
  • Adults with either adult onset or childhood onset GHD

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Who should not take Omnitrope®?

Omnitrope should not be used by children or adults that have:

  • a critical illness caused by certain types of heart or stomach surgery, accidental trauma, or a sudden and severe breathing problem (respiratory failure)
  • Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely overweight or have a history of breathing problems including sleep apnea
  • cancer or other tumors
  • allergies to growth hormone or any of the ingredients in the medicine
  • certain types of eye problems caused by diabetes
  • closed bone growth plates

What should patients tell their healthcare provider before taking Omnitrope?

Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they: 

  • have had heart or stomach surgery, trauma, or serious breathing
    problems
  • have or have had cancer or any tumor
  • have diabetes
  • take any prescription and non-prescription medicines, steroids, vitamins, or herbal supplements
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant or
    breastfeed 

What are the most common side effects of Omnitrope?

  • local reactions at the injection site (such as pain, numbness,
    redness and swelling)
  • headaches
  • swelling associated with fluid retention
  • pain in joints and muscle pain
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • tingling and numbness
  • high blood sugar (hyperglycemia/diabetes) and sugar in your urine
    (glucosuria)
  • unusual skin sensations
  • low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism)

Other possible side effects of Omnitrope are:

  • return of tumor or cancerous growths
  • headaches, changes in vision, nausea or vomiting (these may be
    symptoms of raised pressure in the brain which requires immediate
    medical attention)
  • hip and knee pain or a limp in children, that can be a sign of
    slipped capital femoral epiphysis
  • worsening of pre-existing curvature of the spine in children
    (scoliosis)
  • increased ear infections and ear disorders in children with Turner
    syndrome; check for cardiovascular disorders (hypertension,
    stroke)
  • intense pain and tenderness in the abdomen as consequence of an
    inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
  • gasping syndrome (decreased rate of breathing) in children from
    high levels of benzyl alcohol (an inactive ingredient)
  • Increased mortality in patients with Prader Willi and acute illness

Please see full Prescribing Information for Omnitrope.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Sandoz Inc. at 1-800-525-8747 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.