Maternal anxiety in relation to growth failure and growth hormone treatment in children

Health disorders in mothers and their children are subject to mutual influences arising from the nature of mother–child relationship. The aim of the study was to analyze the issue of anxiety amongst mothers of short children in aspect of growth hormone (GH) therapy in Poland. The study was based on a group of 101 mothers of originally short-stature children: 70 with GH deficiency treated with recombinant human GH and 31 undergoing the diagnostic process, without any treatment. Collected medical data included the child's gender, height and weight, chronological age, bone age delay, and GH therapy duration. For all children the height SDS (standard deviation score of height) and BMI SDS (standard deviation score of body mass index) were calculated. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to evaluate anxiety levels among the recruited mothers. Obtained results revealed low trait anxiety levels in all mothers, with no statistically significant differences between the groups. State anxiety levels were significantly higher in mothers of children without diagnosis and treatment than in mothers of children receiving appropriate therapy. Significantly lower levels of maternal state anxiety were observed during the first stage of the GH therapy, and they were further reduced in mothers of children treated for more than 4 years. Growth failure in Polish children is not associated with high maternal anxiety as a personality trait, but lack of diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment seem to generate high levels of anxiety as a transient state in mothers. The initiation of GH therapy induces a substantial reduction of maternal state anxiety, and the duration of this treatment causes its further decrease. Mothers of short children undergoing diagnostic process could benefit from psychological support, but it seems to be unnecessary when their children are treated with GH.