How can I determine if my child is short or growing slowly?
In clinical practice, the standard deviation method and the height percentile method are used to determine short stature, i.e. a child whose height is lower than the 3rd percentile or two standard deviations from the normal height standard for children of the same age, sex, region and ethnicity can be diagnosed as having short stature.
Of course, it can also be judged by the height growth curve. If the height is below the 3rd percentile or two standard deviations of the normal height standard for children of the same age and gender, then the diagnosis of dwarfism can be made. Or it can be calculated by the formula: age x 7 + 70 (cm), if the child’s height is 10 cm below this calculation result can be judged as dwarfism.
Growth rate is another indicator to determine growth retardation. The growth rate is the annual height growth value (cm/year), the height growth rate is lower than the normal rate of children of the corresponding age is growth retardation. Generally, a growth rate <7 cm/year for children under 2 years of age, <5 cm/year from 4.5 years of age to the onset of puberty, and <6 cm/year at puberty are considered growth retardation. Further search for the cause is needed.
It is important to emphasize that it is important to take your child to the hospital to receive the necessary examinations so that the specialist can analyze and determine the causes of short stature in children based on detailed information and laboratory results, and finalize the treatment plan.
What are the causes of children’s failure to grow taller?
1, is the psychological factors: excessive depression, anxiety, etc. can affect the secretion of growth hormone, resulting in slow growth.
2, is poor sleep during the growth period: growth hormone is synthesized and released after deep sleep, if the lack of sleep can inhibit the secretion of growth hormone, affecting height growth.
3, is poor nutrition, partial diet: insufficient protein intake will affect the synthesis and release of growth hormone and inhibit height growth.
Common causes of pathological dwarfism.
1, growth hormone deficiency: that is, “dwarfism, children with normal intelligence, normal height at birth, slow growth at the age of 2-3 years; school-age annual growth of less than 5 cm; baby face; delayed bone age; small external genital development.
Congenital thyroxine hormone deficiency, namely “cretinism”, has the following characteristics: the neonatal period is characterized by three super: overdue birth, huge babies, delayed physiological jaundice; three less: less food, less crying, less movement; five low: low body temperature, low cry, low blood pressure, low response, low muscle tone; the typical performance of childhood has a special face The typical manifestations in childhood are special faces: such as large head, dry skin, thin hair, puffiness, wide eye spacing, wide and thick tongue, often sticking out of the mouth, indifference; short stature, developmental delay, low intelligence, dullness, unresponsiveness, slow heart rhythm or large heart, bloating, constipation, etc.
2.True precocious puberty: true precocious puberty starts with accelerated height growth, higher stature, and eventually may lead to short stature in adulthood due to early closure of bone age.
3, chromosomal diseases: such as Turner syndrome (Turner syndrome), also known as congenital ovarian insufficiency, is a group of sex chromosomal abnormalities caused by ovarian insufficiency, and female secondary sex characteristics are stunted or completely undeveloped and some congenital malformations of the disease. The incidence rate is 1:2500-3500, which is a common cause of dwarfism in female children.
4. Diseases of the skeletal system: such as chondrodysplasia, congenital osteogenesis imperfecta, and macrosomia can lead to short stature.
5. Children younger than gestational age/intrauterine growth retardation: The birth weight or length of the child is lower than the minimum standard for the same gestational age and sex due to the pregnant mother’s history of chronic diseases, medication, intrauterine hypoxia, intrauterine infection, etc. Failure to achieve effective catch-up within six months after birth, and low adult height.
6. Idiopathic dwarfism (ISS): Excluding systemic diseases, bone metabolic diseases, malnutrition, endocrine diseases and other unexplained dwarfism. 60-80% of dwarfism is classified as idiopathic dwarfism. Idiopathic dwarfism includes somatic growth retardation and familial dwarfism.
7. Somatic growth delay: growth lags behind in childhood and once the height catches up to normal level after puberty, usually their parents have similar phenomenon in the growth process.
Parents are well prepared
Each child’s growth rate and average monthly growth rate are different. Knowing this rule, parents can use the spring that has arrived to prepare their children for rapid growth in all aspects. Dr. Zhang told reporters that at this time to let children grow well, it is necessary to seize the following three points.
Balanced diet: children to grow taller, nutrition must keep up. But nutritious diet does not mean big fish and meat, but to ensure a balanced intake of various nutrients. Protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water are the seven major nutrients to ensure, specifically, rice, meat, milk, eggs, beans and a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits and other reasonable mix, a variety of daily diet, do not be partial food.
Adequate sleep: sleep plays a role in the growth of children’s height. Generally speaking, children aged 3 to 6 years old sleep 10 to 12 hours a day, elementary school students 10 hours, middle school students 9 to 10 hours, high school students 8 to 9 hours, which is very beneficial to ensure the normal growth of children. To let children sleep enough and sleep well, it is best to go to bed at around 10:00 each night and fall asleep before 11:00, ensuring that they enter deep sleep between 2:00 and 4:00 late at night.
Outdoor exercise: Outdoor exercise allows for sun exposure so that ultraviolet light helps with the conversion of vitamin D. At the same time, moderate exercise promotes better bone growth. Even with a heavy school load, make sure your child gets a half hour to an hour of outdoor exercise every day. For children, running, jumping, bouncing and playing soccer outdoors are all good forms of exercise, although they should not be too strenuous.