[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 140 (Thursday, September 15, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1279-E1280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GROWTH AWARENESS WEEK

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                            HON. DENNY HECK

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 15, 2016

  Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize this 
week, September 19-23, as Growth Awareness Week in order to realize the 
reality of growth disorders and their impact on our children's health.
   Monitoring growth is a major sign of a child's overall health and 
physical development. When a child's growth is delayed, it is an early 
indicator of potential underlying medical disorders. According to the 
Pictures of Standard Syndromes and Undiagnosed Malformations (POSSUM) 
database, more than 600 serious diseases and health conditions cause 
growth failure. These diseases range from nutritional disturbances and 
hormone imbalances to serious conditions such as unidentified kidney 
problems and even brain tumors that can all exhibit early signs by 
changing how much that child grows. Too many children with serious 
growth disorders are not receiving the medical attention they need 
because their condition is not caught at an early age. In fact, 48 
percent of children in the U.S. who were evaluated with the two most 
common causes of growth failure went undiagnosed.
   The longer a child with growth failure goes undiagnosed, the greater 
the potential for damage and higher costs of care. Early detection and 
diagnosis are crucial in ensuring a healthy future for a child with 
growth failure. Therefore, raising public awareness of, and educating 
the public about growth failure is a vital public service.
   Growth Awareness Week is a key tool in educating families on their 
children's health, and I would like to thank the tremendous efforts of 
the MAGIC Foundation for their incredible work in furthering public 
awareness and understanding of growth failure. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to improve the lives and health of children.

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