The growth of a child’s height can be quite insidious, and once a child is found to be a head shorter than others, it is already too late.
Parents should first ensure that their children undergo routine physical examinations, and if their height for age is evaluated as “lower middle”, they need specialized health care guidance and regular monitoring of height growth; if their height for age is evaluated as “lower”, they should diagnose dwarfism and further investigate the causes. If your child’s height is rated as “low” by age, the diagnosis of dwarfism needs further investigation and treatment. If your child has not undergone a formal physical examination or lacks height records, you can compare your child with children of the same age and gender around you. Secondly, parents should regularly measure and record their child’s height and growth every year. If you find that your child grows slower than his or her peers during the growth period, for example, after the age of 3, his or her height grows less than 5 cm per year, you should be more alert. We recommend that you take your child to the pediatrician at the Maternal and Child Health Center and have your child’s height measured by a pediatrician.
Generally speaking, there are two rapid growth periods for children: infancy and early childhood, and adolescence. The first rapid growth period is 25 cm in height in the first year of infancy and 10-11 cm in the second year, which is mainly related to nutrition and intrauterine growth trends. The fastest growth rate for boys during puberty is 9-11cm/year, with an average cumulative growth of about 28-30cm; the fastest growth rate for girls is 7-8cm/year, with an average cumulative growth of about 25cm. after the age of 3 to puberty, the average annual growth is 5-7cm, which is a stable growth period.
So, if you and your child have concerns about short stature, how to prevent and control it?
1.Scientific and reasonable nutrition supply sufficient protein, such as eggs, fish, soy products and dairy products, to provide the best “building materials” for children’s growth and development; supply abundant calcium, such as milk, beans and their products, sesame paste, kelp, shrimp, melon seeds and green leafy vegetables, etc., because calcium is an important component of bones. If children don’t eat a good breakfast, the nutrition supply will be inadequate, which will affect the growth and development of the body over time; pay attention to the nutritional balance, do not eat a lot of supplements because children are short, because they may contain hormones, etc., which will stimulate children to mature early and cause dwarfism.
2, moderate exercise Children like small trees also need sunlight, more children to outdoor activities, exercise can not only promote the secretion of growth hormone, at the same time, the body after full exercise can also enhance appetite, promote children to grow taller. The sports that help to grow taller are jogging, jumping rope, dancing, playing basketball, volleyball, swimming, etc. Try to avoid weight lifting and other sports that will hinder the longitudinal growth of bones.
3, early to bed and early to rise The amount of growth hormone secreted by children when they are asleep is more than 50% of the amount secreted throughout the day. The peak of growth hormone secretion occurs after 10 p.m. and lasts for a long time. Therefore, children must be put to bed before 9:30 pm.
4. 4-10 years old is the “golden period” for treatment. 4-10 years old is the best time to help dwarfism patients to grow in height, as long as early detection and early treatment, the affected children can reach normal height.
Most children with dwarfism can grow taller with medication, but the key is to find out the cause of the disease and provide targeted treatment. Children with hypothyroidism can be treated with thyroxine; children with dwarfism who are growth hormone deficient should be treated with growth hormone; children with Tumer syndrome, chronic renal failure and intrauterine growth retardation, idiopathic dwarfism and other non-growth hormone deficient causes of dwarfism can also be treated with growth hormone with significant effect. To decide whether a child with dwarfism is suitable for intervention treatment with growth hormone, physical examination, bone age determination, necessary endocrine function examination, and in some cases, genetic analysis and imaging examination must be conducted to clarify the causes of dwarfism and to strictly grasp the indications for treatment.
5. Cultivate children’s self-confidence Mental, social factors, family environment, psychological pressure, etc. all have an impact on children’s height. Children with short stature are often ridiculed and thus become introverted, self-absorbed or even depressed. Nearly 60% of children with dwarfism have different degrees of psychological problems, such as introversion, emotional instability, social withdrawal, etc. Parents should encourage their children more and it is very important to cultivate their children’s self-confidence.