Effects of growth hormone on cognitive, motor, and behavioral development in Prader-Willi syndrome children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Purpose The benefits of growth hormone (GH) therapy in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) children are well established, but there is still considerable controversy regarding whether GH treatment can improve cognitive, motor, and behavioral development in PWS children. The objectives of this meta-analysis were to quantitatively evaluate the effects of GH on cognitive, motor function, and behavioral development in PWS children. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of GH on cognitive, motor, and behavioral development in PWS children were identified by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Intervention effects were represented by Hedges’g and pooled to calculate effect sizes using a random-effects model. Results Ten relevant studies comprising data from 302 participants were finally included. We observed no significant difference in cognitive performance between the GH treatment group and the control group ( p = 0.197). GH treatment was shown to remarkably improve motor development in PWS children compared with the control treatment ( p