South Korea: Puberty Injections Lack Proven Height Benefit for Non-Precocious Puberty Cases

A growing number of adolescents in South Korea are receiving puberty-suppressing injections, with annual numbers reaching approximately 180,000. This represents a significant 1.5-fold increase from 120,988 patients in 2020 to 179,840 in 2024, according to a report by the Korea Health and Medical Research Institute (KH M R I).

These injections, primarily Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, are commonly administered with the aim of delaying sexual maturation to extend the period for physical growth. However, the KH M R I's research on the "Status, Efficacy, and Safety of Precocious Puberty Suppression Treatment" reveals a critical finding: there is no established medical evidence that these injections increase final adult height for individuals who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for precocious puberty.

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GnRH analogues have been reconfirmed as a standard treatment with short- and mid-term safety in children accurately diagnosed with precocious puberty.

Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of pubertal development significantly earlier than peers. If left unmanaged, it can lead to reduced adult height, as well as various emotional and social challenges. While the GnRH analogue injections are a recognized standard treatment for precocious puberty, offering confirmed short- and mid-term safety in diagnosed children, their application extends beyond strict medical necessity.

The KH M R I report explicitly states that for children experiencing early or normal puberty who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for precocious puberty, the treatment has shown an average delay in menarche (first menstruation) of about 1.49 years. Crucially, however, "significant clinical benefits for final adult height increase were not confirmed."

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For pediatric patients with early puberty or normal puberty who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for precocious puberty, a significant clinical benefit for final adult height increase was not confirmed, although an average delay of approximately 1.49 years in menarche was observed.