Short stature is defined as a child whose height is shorter than 2 standard deviations from the average height of healthy children of the same sex and age, or whose height is below the 3rd percentile for children of the same age. In the population, some of those whose height is between -2SD and +3SD are not patients with short stature. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether a child with short stature is normal or has a growth disorder. Some children with normal growth may have a sudden growth arrest for some reason, and their height may be shorter than -2SD after 1 to 2 years. In order to understand the growth pattern of children, it is necessary to understand their growth percentile, to make detailed inquiries about their genetic background, birth history, feeding history, growth history, and past history, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis and judgment in combination with their age group height. Only then can we initially determine whether the child is growing normally or has a growth disorder disease. If parents find that their child’s height growth is less than 4-5 cm per year at age 3 or older, and less than 5.5-6 cm at puberty, then it is considered as slow growth.
Dwarfism is inextricably linked to endocrine, such as growth hormone deficiency dwarfism, dwarfism caused by tumors in the saddle area (of the pituitary gland), dwarfism caused by uveitis, dwarfism caused by delayed puberty, dwarfism caused by precocious puberty, dwarfism caused by hypothyroidism, and abnormal bone metabolism, genetic abnormalities such as trisomy 21 and turner syndrome. Of course, there are other diseases that cause dwarfism, such as renal tubular acidosis, asthma, abnormal kidney function, etc.