In modern society, people pay more and more attention to the outside. Many young parents are often worried about their children’s failure to grow taller and seek medical help everywhere. In fact, a person’s height can be predicted, and parents can scientifically predict their child’s future height if they can master some simple calculation methods.
Height prediction is the use of the laws of child growth and development, combined with the consideration of genetic and environmental influences, the choice of various formulas to estimate the adult height of children. The following prediction formulas are commonly used
I. Parents’ height predicts children’s height
If parents and children are living in the same environment, the taller the parents are, the taller the children will be; the shorter the parents are, the shorter the children will be. The heritability of human height is 0.75, which means that 75% of the child’s adult height depends on the parents’ height and only 25% depends on the environment, thus it can be considered that heredity determines the growth potential of height, while the environment determines the performance of hereditary potential.
(A) Height prediction for boys
1. Possible height (CM) of a boy at age 18 = average height of both parents + 6.5 (±8.5)
Average height of both parents [father’s height + (mother’s height + 13)] ÷ 2
2. Height of male child at adulthood (CM) = (father’s height + mother’s height) ÷ 2 × 1.08
(B) height prediction for girls
1. Possible height of girls at age 18 (CM) = average height of both parents – 6.5 (±8.5)
Average height of both parents = [height of mother + (height of father) – 13] ÷ 2
2. Height of girl as an adult (CM) = (height of girl × 0.923 + height of mother) ÷ 2
Second, the use of children’s age and height for prediction
The British scholar Tanner found that there is a correlation between children’s height at various ages and adult height based on long-term tracking observation data, using the measured height at age 3 as a prediction object.
1.Boys’ adult height (CM) = 1.27×H3+54.9 (CM)
2. Adult height of girls (CM) = 1.29×H3+42.3 (CM)
H3 is the actual height measurement at the age of 3 years.
III. Girls’ height and menstrual menarche
Many studies suggest that the age at the time of menarche should be taken into account when making height predictions for girls in order to improve the accuracy of the prediction. Because early maturing girls grow fast and menarche comes early, although their height exceeds that of children of the same age, they tend to be shorter than late maturing girls when they reach adulthood.
Adult height of girls (CM) = 30.09-1358×AM+0.983×H1 (±1.9)
AM is the age of menarche (years), H1 is the height at the time of menarche (CM)
Example: A girl who had her first menstruation at the age of 12 and was 155 CM tall at that time, her height at adulthood was
30.09-1.58×12+0.983×155=164(±1.9)
The above formula has some scientific validity in predicting height. Theoretically, the height of parents determines the growth potential of their children’s height, and whether the potential can be fully developed depends on good external environmental conditions. In a sense, the external environment plays an important role in the growth of height. As parents, for the sake of their children’s fitness, so that the potential for growth is better played out, must also pay attention to the following aspects.
First, reasonable nutrition
Children are in the period of growth and development, the development of the body, tissue and organ enlargement need a lot of nutrients, of which, especially protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements are more important. Children entering puberty should pay attention to nutrition, take more animal food, and eat appropriate vegetables and fruits, and correct bad habits such as partial and picky eating.
Second, physical exercise
Let children participate in more physical exercise, especially high touch, bar, swimming, basketball and volleyball and other jumping sports, help the development of the vertebrae and promote the growth of limbs, so that the human body grows taller. It has been reported that for young people in the growth period, such as perseverance, persistent exercise, can make its height growth of 3-4 cm, or even more.
Disease treatment
For dwarfism or thyroid insufficiency caused by cretinism, must be timely treatment from childhood. Chronic malnutrition can also affect height. It is reported that the average height of adolescents with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia is 3CM lower than normal adolescents, so iron deficiency anemia should also be treated promptly.
It is important to point out that as parents, it is natural to be concerned about the future height of our children. However, we should all know that there are many great people in history and reality, not all of them are “beautiful men” with eight-foot bodies. To face the reality, there is no need to complain about your child or yourself for being short. On the contrary, let your children actively exercise and grow up healthy.