title: Concerns, expectations and perception regarding stature, physical appearance and psychosocial functioning before and during high-dose growth hormone treatment of short pre-pubertal children born small for gestational age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few data are available about parental concerns and psychosocial functioning of young children born small for gestational age (SGA) treated with growth hormone (GH). The present study focused on the perception of short stature and the concerns and expectations of the parents regarding GH treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty prepubertal short SGA children, randomized into a GH-treated and a GH-untreated group, and their parents were evaluated by a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview at start and after 2 years of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before start, 85% of the parents were concerned about short stature, 76% expected an increase in adult height of > or =10 cm and 81% expected a positive impact on well-being. Half of the parents expressed fears regarding GH treatment. After 2 years, more parents of treated children reported obvious growth and physical changes, and fewer parents reported teasing because of short stature. An improvement of well-being was reported by half of the parents of treated and untreated children. Fears about GH treatment disappeared almost completely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perspective of GH treatment induced major adult height expectations. In treated children, the physical effects of GH treatment became obvious, teasing because of short stature decreased and initial concerns about short stature and GH therapy decreased.
authors.affiliation: Belgian Study Group for Pediatric Endocrinology (BSGPE), Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lagrou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Froidecoeur
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Craen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Beaufort
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rooman
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heinrichs
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lebrethon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thiry-Counson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Schepper
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone