Parents generally want what’s best for their kids, but sometimes mom’s and dad’s concerns can get a little out of hand.

Take the matter of height, for example. A Boston Children’s Hospital pediatric endocrinologist recently said she sees more and more parents seeking growth hormone therapy for children who don’t have any medical growth problem. In other words, these kids are just short, plain and simple.

You might think these healthy kids are ineligible for treatment with growth hormones. In some cases, at least, you’d be wrong.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration actually approved the use of growth hormone therapy for a subset of healthy kids back in 2003. That approval allowed for children in the 2.25 percentile or lower for height to receive such therapy for growth deficiency of unknown cause.

Previously, growth hormone therapy was available only for children with a diagnosed endocrine problem.

A University of Michigan researcher noted that kids without a hormone problem who receive growth hormone therapy will end up about 1.6 to 2.4 inches taller as an adult than without treatment. But this outcome requires five years of regular injections on average.

More than one expert raises the point that hormone therapy for kids without medical need may actually serve to undermine self-esteem. Children who undergo therapy at the insistence of parents may feel short stature makes them inferior, which is simply false.

Negative physical effects are a concern, too. Hypothyroidism, allergic reactions, joint and muscle pain, high blood sugar and carpal tunnel syndrome are some of the possible side effects of the synthetic hormone used in treatment.

If your child’s short stature isn’t linked to a medical problem, keep these wise words in mind: The best things often come in small packages.