FAMILY ANXIETY
No one imagines that anxiety is good for kids. Now comes news that it can actually stunt their growth.
Psychologists have known for some time that children who suffer severe emotional abuse often grow slowly or not at all, a condition called "failure to thrive." Today, a clearer picture of the connection between development and mental health is emerging, and Thomas W. Uhde, M.D., is tracking how even less severe anxiety problems -- such as panic disorders and social phobias -- might be associated with stunted growth in kids.
The evidence comes from several directions. Adults with panic disorder produce less growth hormone than normal controls when given substances that stimulate hormone release (caffeine is one). Nervous pointer dogs are not only chronically anxious and smaller than their normal littermates, but they have lower levels of IGFI, a molecule associated with growth hormone. And anecdotal observations suggest that anxious, undersized kids who are being treated with growth hormone often see an improvement in both their emotional and physical conditions.
