Emotional Deprivation and Growth Retardation Simulating Idiopathic Hypopituitarism

Abstract

DURING the past six years we have observed and evaluated 13 children, most of whom initially were believed to have growth failure on the basis of idiopathic hypopituitarism. However, a number of unusual features were noted in the histories that suggested emotional disturbances in the children and abnormal home environments. These were not common to the histories of patients with idiopathic hypopituitarism. When these patients were placed in a convalescent hospital, they demonstrated remarkable growth acceleration without receiving growth hormone or other agents. Detailed studies were performed before and during the period of rapid growth. This paper presents the clinical . . .