Cognitive and emotional functioning in hypopituitary short-statured children

Eleven children with documented growth hormone deficiency were studied to assess their cognitive and emotional functioning and their academic achievement before and after 1 year of human growth hormone replacement therapy. Standardized personality and intelligence measures were used, and records of school achievement, as well as developmental and family history from parents, were obtained. Although some subjects in this group were coping with problems other than their short stature (e.g., other medical and psychosocial problems), their intelligence and academic achievement were found to be positively correlated with socioeconomic status and independent of the condition of hypopituitarism. This study supports others that have found these children vulnerable to problems of emotional adjustment in middle and late childhood. Because of the heterogeneity of the group, findings must be interpreted cautiously. However, the consistent finding of disturbance in visual-motor integration is thought to be significant and demonstrates the need for further research that will examine possible neurological sequelae of long-term growth hormone deficiency.