Growth hormone therapy for a child with hypopituitarism is given on a schedule until the child reaches a height of:

• A. 5 ft
• B. 36 inches
• C. 5 ft 6 inches
• D. 6 ft

Answer: (A)

Growth hormone therapy for a child with hypopituitarism is continued until skeletal maturity is reached, meaning the growth plates (epiphyses) fuse and no further linear growth occurs. The aim is to achieve the child’s normal adult height for sex and family background.

In this question, the height reached after successful therapy would be a plausible adult height within the normal range, which is represented by about 5 feet. Heights like 36 inches are far below what GH therapy aims to achieve, while 5 feet 6 inches or 6 feet would be taller than typical final heights for many children treated for GH deficiency. Once the growth plates close, therapy is stopped because further growth is no longer possible.