With the advent of summer vacation, more and more parents are coming to the doctor because their children are short. Most children belong to short stature, some are on the short side, while some children are diagnosed too late and have missed the time for treatment, and some cannot be treated with growth hormone. There are many reasons for short stature, and it requires detailed examination by doctors to diagnose and treat the symptoms. As a parent, you should understand the following points: 1. Definition of short stature: Short stature refers to individuals of the same race, sex and age whose height is lower than the average height of the normal population by 2 standard deviations (1.2 SD), or lower than the 3rd percentile (1.88 SD) in a similar living environment, some of which are normal physiological variants. In order to make the correct diagnosis, the child with growth retardation must undergo appropriate bed observation and laboratory tests. Diagnosis of short stature 1. Medical history: Pregnancy of the child’s mother; birth history of the child; birth length and weight; growth history; parents’ youth development and short stature in the family, etc. 2. Physical examination: In addition to routine physical examination, the following should be measured and recorded correctly: (1) current height and weight measurements and percentile; (2) annual growth rate of height (at least 3 months of observation); (3) target height measured from parents’ height; (4) MI value; (5) sexual development stage. 3. Laboratory tests (1) Blood and urine tests and liver and kidney function tests; blood gas and electrolyte analysis are recommended for suspected renal tubular acidosis; karyotype analysis is required for all girls; to exclude subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone levels should be routinely tested. (2) Bone age: It is a good indicator to determine the growth and development of the child, but it is only one of the reference indicators. It is important to remember to “deify” the bone age to draw parents’ attention to it, leading to excessive worry and anxiety. (3) Special tests: growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, IGF-I production test, imaging of hypothalamus and pituitary gland, karyotype analysis, etc. Indications for special tests ① those whose height is below the normal reference value minus 2 SD (or below the 3rd percentile); ② those whose bone age is more than 2 years below the actual age; ③ those whose height growth rate is below the 25th percentile (by bone age), i.e. <7 cm/year for children <2< font=""> years old; <5 cm/year for children 4 and 5 years old to adolescence and <6 cm/year for adolescence; ④ Those with clinical symptoms of endocrine disorders or manifestations of dysmorphic syndrome; ⑤ Those who need pituitary function examination for other reasons.