Height, status-obsessed parents rush to inject kids with growth hormones - New York Post

There’s no expense Robert, a Manhattan dad, will spare when it comes to helping his son achieve academically and socially — whether it’s getting orchestra seats at a Broadway show to fan an interest in improv, shelling out for tae kwon do lessons to bolster martial arts skills or encouraging honor-roll status with the reward of a caviar dinner.

So, in 2021, when he found out that his son —then 4 feet, 5 inches tall and 12 years old — ranked in the first percentile on the growth chart, he was eager to improve the kid’s circumstances.

Getty Images/Tetra images RFAfter much consideration, Robert and his wife chose to give their son human growth hormone, at a cost of roughly $3,000, before meeting their insurance deductible.

Dr. Eric Ascher, a family medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side, said there are myriad reasons why parents may opt to give their kids hormone shots, but “desire for looks is more often what we’re treating versus health.”

Ascher noted that the practice has become increasingly common since 2003, when the Food and Drug Administration approved using human growth hormone to treat children with short stature of an It is also reportedly popular in China.

“It’s giving the child a negative social message at a young age,” Ascher said, adding that side effects can include an increased risk of heart issue down the line.