Читать книгу The Complete Parenting Collection - Steve Biddulph, Steve Biddulph - Страница 22

Parents sometimes worry if their son is not growing as tall as other boys. Indications are that this worry is needless. A study of 180 boys aged eight to fourteen found that short children are no more likely to be maladjusted than taller children.

Earlier research suggested shorter youngsters were more likely to be shy, anxious or depressed, but times have changed, and more recent studies have not found this to be so. If a child is praised and valued, and has good communication within the family, then being different will cause much less stress.

In the study, short boys described themselves as less socially active, but did not have more behaviour problems than boys of average height. Girls in the study often had even better mental health than girls of normal height. Children whose parents were short themselves seemed to have far fewer problems, probably because of the good role-modelling being provided by their parents. These parents were less likely to be worried or seek medical help for shortness.

In the US, 20 000 children have taken human growth hormone to overcome shortness, a treatment costing tens of thousands of dollars. But doctors recommend the hormone treatment only when it is medically necessary, such as when kidney failure or other conditions have caused a deficiency in the growth hormone. Paediatricians do not believe that psychological reasons are sufficient to justify the treatment, which is painful, inconvenient, and can do more harm than good.