With the improvement of people’s material living standard and the increasing awareness of health care, parents are more and more concerned about children’s growth and development, especially in terms of height. We know that children’s growth is a long process, from conception to adulthood for more than ten years, during which it is influenced by many factors, such as genetics, nutrition, diseases, etc. First, genetic factors First of all, genetic factors, many of our children’s characteristics such as appearance, hair color, etc. are influenced by genetics, height is also. Here I want to remind parents that there is a misconception in daily life that if parents are high, their children must be high. This statement is inaccurate. Although height and heredity are closely related, heredity gives only a range of height, with a 10 cm deviation up and down. If the child’s height is close to the upper limit of genetics, the child’s height is more ideal; if close to the lower limit of genetics, the child’s height is on the short side. Second, nutritional factors Nutrition and growth are closely related. Adequate and reasonable nutrients can make the growth potential to get the best play. Normal growth requires protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, and trace elements such as zinc and iodine. Animal foods such as eggs, meat, fish and dairy contain complete essential amino acids and have high nutritional value, so it is advisable to eat more of them. Calcium and phosphorus are the main components of the bones, so the diet should take into account the types of calcium and phosphorus. Calcium-rich milk and milk products, beans, shrimp, etc., to develop the habit of drinking milk every day. Diseases have a great impact on children’s height, such as malnutrition, long-term diarrhea, especially endocrine diseases can affect height, such as growth hormone deficiency, congenital hypothyroidism, precocious puberty, idiopathic dwarfism, etc. Four, sleep factors Adequate sleep is also very important for growth. The secretion of growth hormone, which is directly related to height growth in our body, has special characteristics, and its secretion is unbalanced within 24 hours a day. 80% of growth hormone is secreted when people sleep, which is why folklore has the saying of “good sleep and good growth”. The secretion of growth hormone peaks at 45~90 minutes after falling asleep at night (deep sleep), and both secretion peaks are concentrated at night. So adequate sleep helps height growth. Fifth, exercise factors Exercise is also the most effective way to promote physical development and enhance physical fitness. The growth of long bones determines the height of adolescents. Exercise can significantly stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone, thus promoting the growth of bones. Exercise by itself does not result in genetically predetermined height increases, but exercise can promote the maximization of genetic potential. Some studies have reported that children who exercise are at least 2-3 cm taller than children who do not exercise in their final adult height. Of course a good living environment and a good state of mind also contribute to height growth. Lastly, parents must monitor the growth of their children. In our clinical work, we often encounter parents who are very concerned about their children’s height, but when asked about the specifics of their children’s growth, many parents cannot answer, and are
“I don’t know”, “I didn’t notice”, etc. We recommend that parents monitor and record their child’s growth on a regular basis. Growth rate is the most direct and simple way to determine the presence or absence of growth disorders. Growth of children is a complex process, influenced by genetic, nutritional, disease, environmental and other factors, genetic we have no choice, but reasonable and balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and appropriate physical exercise have a role in promoting growth. Regular growth monitoring is important for early detection and early treatment. Also the method is easy and parents should pay attention to it. We hope that parents and friends will start building a growth profile for their children today.