A shot to grow taller?Beware of side effects of growth hormone

[Anchor]
The growth hormone product market, which parents often give to their children, has grown to 400 billion won on the talk of growing children being able to grow taller.

However, experts warn that long-term vaccination of children without special conditions can cause side effects such as acromegaly.

Reporter Kim Joo-young reports.

[Reporter]
Parents who raise their growing children often hear about growth hormones without difficulty.

In other words, short children can grow taller if they receive growth hormone injections.

There are even advertisements that exaggerate, calling it a so-called "growing injection."

Related markets are also growing rapidly.

The market has been growing by an average of more than 30% every year over the past five years, and as of last year, the market size reached 444.5 billion won.

Of course, growth hormones are made in the pituitary gland and affect the cell growth and development of bones, resulting in the effect of increasing bones.

However, this means that it can help treat diseases of children who have difficulty growing up due to growth hormone secretion disorders and Turner syndrome.

Experts warn that people who don't have a problem with hormone injections, a drug, can suffer serious side effects if they receive them for a long time.

[Ahn Kwang-soo / Director of Biopharmaceutical Quality Management Division, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety: Long-term overdose to normal people may cause side effects such as acromegaly, swelling, and joint pain.]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety believes that there is a problem with the misuse and abuse of growth hormones and will continue to crack down on excessive advertising with local governments across the country.

In addition, it plans to continue on-site inspections of medical institutions and pharmacies that prescribe a lot of growth hormone drugs.

I'm Kim Joo-young of YTN.