Quality of life in adolescents born small for gestational age: does growth hormone make a difference?

Background/aims: To evaluate quality of life (QoL) in adolescents born SGA without spontaneous catch-up growth, treated with and without long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy. Additionally, to assess whether GH treatment has a positive effect on QoL, besides improving adult height and height SDS during childhood.

Methods: Two groups of adolescents born SGA without spontaneous catch-up growth participated in the QoL evaluation; a GH-treated group (n = 44, mean GH duration: 8.