Key result
Growth hormone therapy in children with idiopathic short stature yields variable height gains of 4-6 cm but lacks proven efficacy in improving psychosocial function to justify its high costs.
Why the study?
Does growth hormone therapy improve psychosocial function and height in children with idiopathic short stature?
Does growth hormone therapy improve psychosocial function and height in children with idiopathic short stature?
Growth hormone treatment for idiopathic short stature in children remains ethically controversial due to variable height outcomes and unproven psychosocial benefits.
Should not change practice for idiopathic short stature; leaves open need for RCTs on psychosocial outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Being short is a natural diversity of the human race. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of idiopathic short stature (ISS) in children. Research has shown that GH therapy in children with ISS has a variable effect on increasing height. However, the literature has not shown the efficacy in improving psychosocial function to justify the costs and potential adverse effects. GH use in children with ISS is a subject of great ethical debate. Ethical implications including beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice are discussed. ISS requires thoughtful consideration by the patient, parents, and healthcare professionals. Well-designed long-term studies are needed to determine the benefits of such treatment.
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D Bucher (2007) conducted a review in Idiopathic Short Stature. Growth Hormone Therapy was evaluated. Growth hormone therapy in children with idiopathic short stature yields variable height gains of 4-6 cm but lacks proven efficacy in improving psychosocial function to justify its high costs.
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