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Long‐term psychosocial consequences of hormone treatment for short stature
Author(s) -
Visservan Balen Hanneke,
Geenen Rinie,
Kamp Gerdine A,
Huisman Jaap,
Wit Jan M,
Sinnema Gerben
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00235.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , medicine , short stature , population , stressor , idiopathic short stature , distress , pediatrics , young adult , demography , hormone , clinical psychology , growth hormone , psychiatry , environmental health , sociology
Aim: To examine psychosocial functioning of young adults with idiopathic short stature or short stature born small for gestational age after growth hormone (GH) and gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment in early adolescence or no intervention. Methods: Thirty young adults (18 treated, 12 untreated; age 17–23 years; on average 5.5 years after the end of treatment) completed questionnaires regarding perceived competence and psychological distress. They and their parents were interviewed on social circumstances, height‐related psychosocial stressors and parental worries about prospects in society. Results: Height gain was on average 2.3 cm more for the treated than for the untreated group. On none of the psychosocial variables differences were found between treated and untreated participants. Compared to Dutch population norms, psychological and social functioning was normal. Conclusion: GH/GnRHa treatment, with arrest of pubertal development and lower than expected effects on final height, is not observed to lead to long‐term negative or positive effects. Both treated and untreated participants go well through the psychosocial transition period of young adulthood. This suggests that, in the long term and independent of hormone treatment, adequate psychosocial adjustment is expected in case of short stature.