Does your child often stand in the top three in class and is much shorter than children his or her age? If this is the case, parents should be aware that their child is at risk of developing dwarfism.
Dwarfism is diagnosed when a child’s height is less than two standard deviations (-2SD) or the third percentile (p3) of the average height of normal children of the same age, sex, and race. In life, if a child has been sitting half a head below his or her peers for a long time, has been sitting in the first row of the class, and has gained less than 7 cm per year before the age of 3; less than 5 cm per year between the age of 3 and puberty; and less than 6 cm per year after puberty, then growth retardation can be suspected.
According to the survey, the prevalence of childhood dwarfism in China is about 3%, but in this high incidence environment, many parents are almost completely unaware of this condition.
There are many causes of pediatric growth deficiency and adult short stature, including growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism (low thyroid), precocious puberty, and also less than gestational age children, idiopathic dwarfism, systemic diseases, somatic growth and delayed puberty can lead to dwarfism.
The younger the child is, the more active the cartilage layer of the epiphysis is in proliferation and differentiation, the more space and potential the child has for growth, the more sensitive the child is to treatment, and the more effective the drug is in promoting growth. The heavier the child is, the higher the dose of medication and the higher the cost of treatment. 4-12 years old is the golden time for dwarfism treatment. Most children with dwarfism can regain their normal height with early diagnosis and systematic treatment.