RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 On the ethics of oestrogen treatment for tall girls: an update
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 713
OP 714
DO 10.1136/jme.2009.030189
VO 35
IS 11
A1 P Louhiala
YR 2009
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/35/11/713.abstract
AB New empirical evidence on the long-term effects of oestrogen treatment for tall adolescent girls has shown that the intended psychosocial benefit of the treatment may not have been realised. This paper describes recent trends in the prevalence of the treatment and the results of a large Australian cohort study evaluating girls assessed between 1959 and 1993 for excessive growth. The paper concludes that oestrogen treatment to prevent extreme tallness should belong to the past, not to the future.