Abstract
In order to assess the potential psychological impact of growth hormone (GH) therapy on non-GH deficient short stature children, 44 children were investigated in a milti-center, multi-national clinical trial. The children were randomly assigned to a treated or non-treated group. Inclusion criteria were: strictly non-pubertal, normal growth velocity for chronological age (CA), height ≤ −2 SD for CA. Psychological assessment was performed twice, before random assignment and after 18 months, It included the Wisc-R (IQ), the Comprehensive System Rorschach Test (personality), the Goodenough's Draw-A-Person test (development and body image), the Rey Figure (development, cognition and neurological functions). At intake, mean age was of 8.4 (42) with 23 males and 21 females, mean height of −2.9 SD (10.6). IQs were of average range, body image was consistent with age, but learning difficulties, affective disturbances and cognitive deficits more frequent than average. There were no differences between the treated and control groups. Retest results indicate that (1) psychological development of children in the treated and control groups is identical in every aspect; (2) the whole group is significantly less depressed and less cognitively impaired, (3) a direct relationship is found between children's perception of the benefits of treatment and their basic attitude towards being small, of which three types are described. It is concluded that no objective data support the notion of a psychological impact of treatment itself nor of the self-perceived change in growth velocity. The very specific cognitive ami affective disturbances of these children should be addressed with relevant psychological interventions.
Supported by a grant from SERONO FRANCE.
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Andronikkof-Sanglade, A., Castro, D., Frankard, M. et al. PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF GROWTH HORMONE THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH IDIOPATHIC SHORT STATURE. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S68 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00392
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00392