title: Health-related quality of life in short children born small for gestational age: effects of growth hormone treatment and postponement of puberty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in short children born small for gestational age (SGA) during growth hormone (GH) treatment and additional postponement of puberty by gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa).
  
  
  METHODS
  HRQoL was studied longitudinally during 2 years of treatment in 97 short SGA children (mean age 11.6 years at start). The children were divided into three groups: prepubertal GH-treated (prep-GH) children, pubertal GH-treated (pub-GH) children, and pubertal GH-treated children with additional GnRHa treatment (pub-GH/GnRHa). HRQoL was measured by generic (TACQOL) and short stature-specific (TACQOL-S) questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TACQOL-S showed that prep-GH children experienced significant HRQoL improvement on the subscales 'contact with adults', 'body image' and 'vitality', and pub-GH/GnRHa children on the subscales 'contact with adults', 'contact with peers' and 'physical abilities'. Parents of prep-GH and pub-GH/GnRHa children reported significant HRQoL improvement on most TACQOL-S scales, whereas HRQoL improvement in pub-GH children reached significance for 'future prospects' only. The HRQoL gain was similar in the three groups, also after correction for confounders. The generic questionnaire TACQOL did not reveal any changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQoL improved in prepubertal and pubertal short SGA children during GH treatment. Additional GnRHa treatment had no adverse effect on the HRQoL gain. Disorder-specific questionnaires were particularly appropriate to evaluate HRQoL in children treated for short stature.
authors.affiliation: Dutch Growth Research Foundation, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. a.lem@kindengroei.nl
authors.forename: Annemieke J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lem
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jobse
authors.forename: Danielle C M
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: van der Kaay
authors.forename: Maria A J
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Ridder
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
authors.forename: Anita C S
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hokken-Koelega
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D016729:Leuprolide