Parents who are short in stature always worry that their children will not grow taller, and if their children are a little shorter than their peers, they think it is a big problem. They are easily tempted by the advertisements of “nutrition” and “height enhancers” that can help them grow taller at once, which results in spending a lot of money and adding to their worries. Parents who are tall often do not worry about their children’s lack of height, thinking that genetics is good and will definitely grow taller in the future, but when their children do not grow to the clinic, they often miss the best time for treatment. Every mother wants her child to excel. However, some mothers only complain instead of encouraging their children to do something meaningful; some mothers are also very irrational and take height too seriously, causing unnecessary psychological burden to their children. At the specialist clinic, the mother who would complain said to me, “My child’s father is short, so I’m worried about my child’s height”. Mothers who take height too seriously ask me, “I’ve heard that some people have increased their height by 10 cm in half a year with growth hormone injections, is that true? Dr. Liang, please, let my son grow to 175cm or more!” . For these anxious mothers, I think it is necessary to tell you how to look at your child’s height correctly and how to improve your child’s height. What is considered short? What is non-disease short stature? What is disease-related short stature? Short stature is defined as a child whose height is less than two standard deviations (-2SD) or below the third percentile (P3) of the mean for healthy children of the same age, gender, region and race. In layman’s terms, if 100 children of the same sex and age are lined up, the two children at the top of the line are likely to be short. Non-disease dwarfism includes genetic dwarfism, small for gestational age, and somatic growth retardation. These short children should be provided with a good acquired environment to promote the genetic potential. The four major prescriptions to promote growth are: nutrition, exercise, sleep and disease control. Disease-related dwarfism commonly includes: malnutrition dwarfism, growth hormone deficiency, late-onset hypothyroidism, congenital ovarian hypoplasia, chondrodysplasia, and severe rickets. These children should first be seen by a pediatric endocrinologist for a detailed medical history and laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis before targeted treatment. For example, malnutrition should be treated by eliminating the cause and increasing nutrition, the younger the child is, and severe rickets should be treated by finding out the cause, whether it is renal tubular acidosis? Or low blood phosphorus anti-D rickets? Ask the specialist for timely treatment. Short children should be routinely checked for thyroxine and, if necessary, have a growth hormone drug stimulation test. Many cases of short stature are hypothyroidism, which are ignored because of the absence of clinical manifestations. As long as they are detected early and thyroid hormone is replaced early, they can grow taller. In addition to genetic and disease factors, individual differences in height are largely determined by the amount of growth hormone secreted by the individual. Therefore, children suffering from growth hormone deficiency with normal intelligence but short height need daily growth hormone supplementation, and their growth rate can be increased three to five times, generally by 10 cm to 12 cm per year, with the fastest being 10 cm in half a year. Genetic recombinant human growth hormone has put an end to the history of dwarfism patients not being able to increase their height, and is a major application of biogenetic engineering technology in medicine in the nineties. Is it impossible to improve a child’s short stature if the parents are short? Many parents believe that it is destiny for their children to be short because of their parents’ short stature. It is true that stature is controlled to some extent by genetic predisposition and is difficult to change significantly. However, if the short stature of the father or mother is due to malnutrition or disease as a child, that is a different story. We need to know the family height profile of the short parent in detail to clarify whether there is a genetic background. Does the fact that neither parent is short rule out hereditary dwarfism? Not necessarily. Autosomal or X chromosome recessive disorders, where the father or mother carries the gene, can not manifest themselves. Detailed information is needed about the height of both parents in the direct and collateral lines over three generations. How to determine growth potential For children and adolescents in the developmental stage, taking bone age films can accurately determine the growth potential of minors. Once the epiphysis has healed, it will be difficult to change the short stature using non-invasive methods. In adults, the epiphysis has closed and it is impossible to grow taller. However, in the early morning, the human skeletal gap is stretched because of rest; at night, before going to bed, the spinal gap is compressed because of weight-bearing during the day. Therefore, the average person is 1 to 2 cm taller in the early morning than at night, and the same phenomenon exists for children and teenagers, but this height difference does not reflect the height of a person, but only suggests that we should measure height at the same time. How to make children grow taller Height is related to a variety of factors such as genetics, nutrition, exercise, environment and endocrine, etc. Those who are short in stature should establish a good mindset, balanced nutrition and strengthen exercise. Adequate nutrition is the most important material basis for growing taller, and protein, calcium and zinc are important cellular components of the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the characteristics of children’s growth and development in each stage and provide targeted guidance. Milk is the best food to promote growth, containing both high protein and high calcium, which children should not lack every day, but not in excess. Carbohydrates and fats are also essential nutrients for growth and development. Carbohydrates mainly come from rice and flour grains, so we should ensure enough meals every day, and generally for adolescents aged 13 to 18, the daily staple food should not be less than 400 grams. During the growth spurt, the daily intake of calcium should reach 1000 mg and 400 units of vitamin D per day. Vegetables and fruits not only provide a large amount of inorganic salts and various vitamins, but the fiber they contain can also promote the body’s absorption of nutrients and increase intestinal motility. Therefore, the amount of vegetables for adolescents should not be less than 400 grams per day. In order to ensure that the amount is sufficient, but also pay attention to a reasonable mix of diet and diversification, that is, coarse and fine, meat and vegetables, do not picky food, not partial food. Do not eat too many snacks and drinks and affect the intake of important nutrients. Physical activity is the most effective way to promote physical development and enhance physical fitness. Studies have confirmed that children who exercise are on average 2 to 3 cm taller than those who do not exercise. Exercise promotes the maximization of genetic potential. Exercise stimulates growth hormone secretion, promotes metabolism, and increases appetite. Children and adolescents who regularly engage in sports promote bone growth, making bones longer and thicker and increasing bone density. Regular exercise also makes muscle fibers thicker and improves muscle strength, speed and endurance. Exercise also consumes excess fat and prevents obesity during the rapid growth period. It is not enough for adolescent students to participate only in physical education classes and recess activities; it is necessary to be active and engage in outdoor physical activity for one hour a day. The amount of growth hormone secreted during sleep is three times higher than that secreted during wakefulness, so ensuring sufficient sleep is beneficial to growth. Muscle relaxation during sleep facilitates joint and bone stretching. The length of sleep varies from age to age and varies greatly from individual to individual. The required sleep time for a day and night is 16-20 hours for newborns, 12-14 hours for infants, 11-12 hours for preschoolers, 10 hours for elementary school students and 9 hours for secondary school students, and 7-8 hours for adults. Since ancient times, there is “can sleep the doll long child” saying. Therefore, in the daytime in the growth of teenagers should be appropriate physical exercise, arrange homework, can not drive the night, stay up late, otherwise affect the growth. Various acute and chronic diseases that cause physiological disorders can have a direct impact on the growth and development of children. However, the degree of impact depends on the location of the lesion, the length of the disease and the severity of the condition. In general, the effects of acute diseases on growth are temporary, especially if the body is in good nutritional condition, and can recover quickly. However, repeated respiratory infections and diarrhea in infants and young children can significantly hinder growth and development, so they should be actively prevented and treated. In conclusion, parents should pay attention to the fact that for their children, it is important to raise them according to scientific rules. If they are indeed dwarfism, they should come to the clinic as early as possible for symptomatic treatment to achieve the best results.