Psychosocial aspects of short stature and its management: good deeds require good science.

Beliefs and assumptions regarding the presumed negative influence of height on psychological adaptation and quality of life contribute to the growth hormone (GH) therapy decision-making process. Although bioethics considers more than empirical evidence when providing guidance, recommendations based on poor-quality science will certainly diminish their ultimate value. This brief and selective overview identifies pitfalls and deficiencies in the existing literature on the psychosocial aspects of short stature and its management with GH. It concludes with a call for methodologically robust psychosocial research together with a careful risk/benefit analysis for the individual child.