Recently, a parent in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, accused that their child was misdiagnosed with dwarfism at the age of 12 and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after half a year of growth hormone injections. The parent questioned the hospital for not fully informing about the possible risks before starting growth hormone therapy and for not strictly monitoring the boy’s blood sugar levels during the six-month treatment process.
According to a report by mainland China’s The Paper on November 12th, two years ago, Ms. Li took her child to Henan Children’s Hospital for a check-up because the child was shorter than peers of the same age and was diagnosed with “dwarfism” by the doctor, who recommended growth hormone therapy. Following the doctor’s advice, Ms. Li started the growth hormone treatment for her child.
“At the beginning, we checked his blood sugar once a month, and it was normal. We persisted with the treatment for half a year, but later his blood sugar kept soaring, and he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.” Ms. Li said, “Since then, he needs to inject 4 shots of insulin every day to maintain stable blood sugar levels.” “This year, the child is only 14 years old and has already received 2940 insulin injections, with his body covered in countless puncture marks.”
The judicial appraisal provided by Ms. Li showed that the diagnosis of “dwarfism” was incorrect, and there was a fault in the hospital’s incomplete risk notification after implementing the growth hormone therapy. The appraisal also indicated that the child was in the peak period of developing type 1 diabetes when receiving treatment, mainly due to his genetic susceptibility. However, it did not rule out the possibility that improper growth hormone therapy accelerated or induced the onset of diabetes.
In response to this, the local health commission stated that the matter has been referred to the hospital involved for handling. The hospital, on the other hand, mentioned that they are currently undergoing legal procedures and will bear the corresponding responsibility as per the court’s judgment.