[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13485]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     GROWTH DISORDER AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today, on behalf of every child 
currently living with a growth disorder, I wish to recognize this 
week--September 19 through 23, 2016--as Growth Disorder Awareness Week.
  A child's growth is a strong indicator of that child's overall health 
status. According to the Pictures of Standard Syndromes and Undiagnosed 
Malformations, POSSUM, database, more than 600 serious diseases and 
health conditions can cause growth failure. These diseases range from 
nutritional disturbances and hormone imbalances, to far more serious 
conditions that affect the kidneys or even lead to brain tumors. While 
these conditions affect a child's growth progress, a stunning 48 
percent of children with the most common growth disorders go 
undiagnosed. To make matters worse, the longer a child with growth 
failure goes undiagnosed, the greater the potential for long-term 
health issues and higher costs of treatment. Early detection and 
diagnosis are, therefore, critical to ensuring a healthy future for 
these children.
  This week, as we recognize Growth Disorder Awareness Week, I want to 
applaud the MAGIC Foundation for the tremendous work they do to further 
public awareness of growth failure and to improve the lives and health 
of the children whom they affect.

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