A new stress-related syndrome of growth failure and hyperphagia in children, associated with reversibility of growth-hormone insufficiency.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Growth failure without organic aetiology but associated with behavioural disturbance and psychosocial stress has been termed psychosocial short stature. This condition is not a valid diagnostic entity, but encompasses failure to thrive, stunting secondary to chronic malnutrition, and idiopathic hypopituitarism. Some children show spontaneous catch-up growth when removed from the source of stress, without further treatment, but until now precise definition of this subgroup for the purpose of clinical identification has not been possible.

METHODS:

Hospital-referred children with growth failure unrelated to organic pathology, who came from stressful homes, were compared with children of short-normal stature identified from an epidemiological survey (n = 31). Growth-hormone dynamics were studied in the hospital group by a combination of diurnal profiles and provocation tests. The tests were repeated after a hospital stay of 3 weeks away from familial stress. Standard behavioural measures were obtained from home and school.

FINDINGS:

In a distinctive subgroup (n = 29), growth-hormone insufficiency was associated with characteristic behavioural features, especially hyperphagia and polydipsia, and a normal body-mass index. When the children were removed from their stressful home circumstances, growth-hormone insufficiency spontaneously resolved only in formerly hyperphagic subjects. 74% of the non-hyperphagic cases (n = 23) were anorexic, with a low body-mass index and normal growth-hormone responses to provocation tests.

INTERPRETATION:

We present explicit behavioural and developmental criteria by which the novel syndrome of hyperphagic short stature may be recognised clinically. Such children have a capacity for spontaneous recovery of growth-hormone production on removal from or reduction of stress. Discriminant and predictive validity of the core symptoms are demonstrated. Preliminary familial studies indicate a possible genetic predisposition.

• Authors: D Skuse, A Albanese, R Stanhope, J Gilmour, L Voss
• Journal: Lancet (London, England) (Lancet) Vol. 348 Issue 9024 Pg. 353-8 (Aug 10 1996) ISSN: 0140-6736 [Print] England
• PMID: 8709732 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Growth Hormone

Topics

• Adolescent
• Body Height
• Child
• Child Abuse (psychology)
• Child Behavior
• Child, Preschool
• Family
• Female
• Growth Disorders (epidemiology, etiology, psychology)
• Growth Hormone (blood, deficiency)
• Humans
• Hyperphagia (etiology)
• Male
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Social Class
• Stress, Psychological (complications)
• United Kingdom (epidemiology)