Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1996 Jul;75(1):32–35. doi: 10.1136/adc.75.1.32

Psychological response to growth hormone treatment in short normal children.

A B Downie 1, J Mulligan 1, E S McCaughey 1, R J Stratford 1, P R Betts 1, L D Voss 1
PMCID: PMC1511660  PMID: 8813867

Abstract

This study provides a controlled assessment of the psychological (and physical) effects of growth hormone treatment. Fifteen short 'normal' children (height SD score < -2) have been treated with growth hormone since the age of 7/8 years. They, together with untreated short controls and average controls (10th-90th centiles), were assessed at recruitment, after three years, and after five years. Only the treated group showed a significant height increase (SD score -2.44 to -1.21 over five years). No significant differences were found at recruitment, three years, or five years in IQ, attainment, behaviour, or self esteem. Also at five years, there were no significant differences in locus of control, self perception, or parental perceptions of competence. Both short groups displayed less satisfaction with their height than the controls (p < 0.01), though all groups were optimistic of being tall adults. The treated children were no more unrealistic over final height than the untreated children. To date, no psychological benefits of treatment have been demonstrated; but nor have there been any discernible ill effects for either the treated or the untreated children.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Boulton T. J., Dunn S. M., Quigley C. A., Taylor J. J., Thompson L. Perceptions of self and short stature: effects of two years of growth hormone treatment. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl. 1991;377:20–28. doi: 10.1111/apa.1991.80.s377.20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Diekema D. S. Is taller really better? Growth hormone therapy in short children. Perspect Biol Med. 1990 Autumn;34(1):109–123. doi: 10.1353/pbm.1990.0052. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Frisch H., Häusler G., Lindenbauer S., Singer S. Psychological aspects in children and adolescents with hypopituitarism. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1990 Jun-Jul;79(6-7):644–651. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1990.tb11529.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Grumbach M. M. Growth hormone therapy and the short end of the stick. N Engl J Med. 1988 Jul 28;319(4):238–241. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198807283190408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kusalic M., Fortin C. Growth hormone treatment in hypopituitary dwarfs: longitudinal psychological effects. Can Psychiatr Assoc J. 1975 Aug;20(5):325–331. doi: 10.1177/070674377502000501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McCaughey E. S., Mulligan J., Voss L. D., Betts P. R. Growth and metabolic consequences of growth hormone treatment in prepubertal short normal children. Arch Dis Child. 1994 Sep;71(3):201–206. doi: 10.1136/adc.71.3.201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Meyer-Bahlburg H. F., Feinman J. A., MacGillivray M. H., Aceto T., Jr Growth hormone deficiency, brain development, and intelligence. Am J Dis Child. 1978 Jun;132(6):565–572. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1978.02120310029005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Money J., Pollitt E. Studies in the psychology of dwarfism. II. Personality maturation and response to growth hormone treatment in hypopituitary dwarfs. J Pediatr. 1966 Mar;68(3):381–390. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(66)80241-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Rotnem D., Cohen D. J., Hintz R., Genel M. Psychological sequelae of relative "treatment failure" for children receiving human growth hormone replacement. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1979 Summer;18(3):505–520. doi: 10.1097/00004583-197922000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sandberg D. E., Brook A. E., Campos S. P. Short stature: a psychosocial burden requiring growth hormone therapy? Pediatrics. 1994 Dec;94(6 Pt 1):832–840. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Stabler B., Siegel P. T., Clopper R. R. Growth hormone deficiency in children has psychological and educational co-morbidity. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1991 Mar;30(3):156–160. doi: 10.1177/000992289103000304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stirling H. F., Kelnar C. J. Who needs growth hormone? J R Soc Med. 1994 Sep;87(9):497–498. doi: 10.1177/014107689408700901. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Underwood L. E. The social cost of being short: societal perceptions and biases. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl. 1991;377:3–8. doi: 10.1111/apa.1991.80.s377.3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES