Quality of Life of Children with Normal Short Stature

Abstract

The psychosocial adaptation of children with normal short stature is a matter of concern to their parents, paediatricians and teachers. Potential areas of dysfunction include cognition, social behaviour, emotional adjustment and self-concept. We have studied a sample of 22 children who were referred to specialists for investigation of short stature (mean height below -2 standard deviation score (SDS)), aged between 6 to 11 years. We gathered parent, teacher and self-reports. Uniquely, we have also used sociometry to measure those children's social adjustment within their classrooms, as perceived by their peers. A closely matched comparison group of normally growing children was also recruited from the same school classes as the cases. We found little evidence that untreated short prepubertal children are psychosocially maladjusted, compared to peers of normal stature. They do not differ in terms of peer acceptance, self-perception or social competence. Children with short stature regarded themselves as well supported socially by parents, teachers, peers and friends. All subjects had intelligence guotients (IQ) within the normal range of ability, yet we found cognitive ability was a better predictor than height for most aspects of behavioural and emotional adjustment.