Growth hormone therapy-related experience of mothers with small-for-gestational age children of short stature

Abstract

  This study aimed to describe the experience of mothers with small-for-gestational age (SGA) children of short stature undergoing growth hormone (GH) therapy, and to examine the support from the initiation of treatment and during continued treatment. The subjects were four mothers who regularly visited outpatient departments for their SGA children with short stature who underwent GH therapy. A semi-structured interview was conducted with these mothers, and the data were qualitatively and inductively analyzed. The results of the analysis indicated the following five categories as treatment-related experiences of the participants: “constant self-reproach and desires regarding their children because of their short stature”, “mothers struggling with GH therapy”, “a lack of support in treatment”, “sparks of hope found in treatment”, and “their inexhaustible source of worry”. This study suggested that mothers with children with short stature due to SGA are characterized by constant self-reproach regarding their children, and therefore their strong desire to see their children grow was the impetus to continue treatment. However, it was found that they did not receive adequate support from health care providers. In addition, it was suggested that it is necessary to develop a network consisting of multiple families and establish a support system for each treatment period.