Short stature is defined as height below the 3rd percentile of the average height of healthy children of the same race, age and sex. In addition, we should pay attention to the growth rate of children’s height. Infants and toddlers under 3 years old grow less than 7 cm/year; from 3 years old to before puberty, the growth rate is less than 3-5 cm/year; puberty growth rate is less than 5-6 cm/year, all of which are slow in height growth.
What are the causes of short stature?
Generally, there are two types of growth hormone deficiency and non-growth hormone deficiency. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland, which can promote growth, make long bones grow, and make the body taller.
The common causes of non-growth hormone deficiency type of short stature are: 1. Insufficient secretion of thyroxine and sex hormones: Thyroxine and sex hormones are also involved in the regulation of growth and development, and their insufficient secretion can also lead to short stature.
2. Congenital abnormalities: Turner’s syndrome in girls, for example, can cause short stature and delayed puberty.
3.Fetal intrauterine growth retardation: the child’s height and weight at birth are significantly smaller than normal children.
4. Long-term malnutrition, long-term chronic diseases and poor environment can affect height.
What tests are needed for children with short stature?
1.X-ray of the left wrist and palm finger: to understand the age of the bones, determine the growth of the bones, the degree of epiphyseal closure and the growth potential of the child.
2.Blood test for growth hormone, thyroid hormone, growth factor and other levels.
If the child is considered to be short in stature due to growth hormone deficiency, a growth hormone stimulation test is required for diagnosis.
What is the treatment for short stature?
Adequate sleep, nutrition and active exercise can help children’s growth and development, and early sleep (fall asleep before 10pm) is beneficial to the secretion and function of growth hormone.
Children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency should be treated with growth hormone injections. The earlier the treatment is given, the better the effect will be, and it will narrow the gap between the height of the child and normal children as early as possible, which will help the mental health and future development of short children.
3.If the secretion of thyroid hormone and sex hormone is insufficient, the corresponding hormone should be supplemented.
4.The application of growth hormone treatment for low birth weight children and some children with idiopathic short stature (referring to children with short stature for which no clear cause can be found) also has certain effect.