First of all, before understanding what is late growth, let’s understand two concepts “bone age” and “bone age difference”.
Bone age: we usually refer to the actual age, bone age is a kind of developmental age obtained by comparing the actual degree of bone development of children and adolescents with the standard degree of development, bone age is more accurate than the actual age to determine the degree of maturity of the human body.
Bone age difference: Bone age difference is the difference between age and bone age, which is the specific number of years difference between the two. Usually ± 2 years is the normal range of bone age difference, where the bone age difference within ± 1 year is normal. Bone age greater than 1 year but not more than 2 years is considered early; bone age less than 1 year but not more than 2 years is considered late. If the bone age is more than 2 years behind the age, the bone age is considered abnormally behind; if the bone age is more than 2 years ahead of the age, the bone age is considered abnormally ahead.
Next is to understand what is late growth: late growth is a type of normal growth, late growth of the child puberty fierce growth and sexual maturity time appeared late, but when the end of puberty of the same age, after the growth plate healing, these children are just in puberty, still growing, so the final height is no different from the general adult. No treatment is usually needed.
What are the outward signs of late growth?
It often manifests itself as a normal appearance, short stature and lagging bone age. Both parents are of normal height, but the child grows slightly slower each year, is short in stature during childhood, and lags behind the actual age in bone age. The mechanism for this is not fully understood, but there is usually a family history of “late growth”. For example, the father does not grow until after high school or college. The mother had her first menstrual period after the age of 15-16.
How can I tell if my child is a late bloomer? What tests are needed?
Bone age films: to determine the child’s skeletal age and to provide a basis for further determination of the child’s condition.
Thyroid function: to rule out hypothyroidism.
growth hormone stimulation test: to exclude growth hormone deficiency (pituitary dwarfism)
saddle area MRI: to exclude pituitary hypoplasia causing dwarfism
blood chromosomes: to exclude growth retardation associated with chromosomal disorders
Sex hormone examination: to rule out gonadotropin deficiency in case of late puberty
What do we do if the child grows late?
1.Monitoring height
Require “the same person, the same size, the same moment”, 7cm/year under 2 years old, 5cm/year from 4.5 years old to the beginning of puberty, 6cm/year during puberty.
2.Balanced diet
① Correct bad habits: partial eating, picky eating.
②Sweet food, drinks with high sugar content and carbonated drinks, fried food and other kinds of junk food do not eat or eat less.
3.Strengthen exercise
1 year old to 3 years old of early childhood: crawling, running, jumping.
3 years old to 7 years old of the juvenile period: suitable for outdoor activities, to receive sunbathing, exercise, running, playing ball, etc.
Older children: appropriate to choose sports based on bouncing, such as rope skipping, swimming, aerobics, ball games, etc.
“Insist on exercise, moderate exercise, and avoid sports injuries”.
4.Ensure quality sleep
The peak of human growth hormone secretion is at night, if the quality of sleep is affected, the secretion of growth hormone will also be affected, thus affecting the growth.
5.Psychological care
Parents should not instill the wrong concept of the taller the better in their children, but encourage and praise them more, and try to create a natural and healthy living environment for them.
Do not blindly think that “short” means “late growth”, or blindly use height-enhancing drugs or growth hormone, but go to a regular hospital to make scientific and reasonable treatment measures after examination, so as not to use wrong drugs or delay treatment. We must go to the regular hospital to make scientific and reasonable treatment measures after examination, so as to avoid wrong medication or delayed treatment and regret.