Many parents might be worried when a child is experiencing abnormality in their body. Apart from that, height can be one of triggers, perharbs your baby might be getting shorter than other kids while the parents are pretty tall. This problem affects both physical appearance and mental state including personality of the kid. Noticing the problem in time can find the way out for your loved one.
Pediatric Specialist, Dr. Nuanphong rienmanee said the main factor that evolves children development is heredity. Approximately 10% of parents came with question about delayed growth of their child while 60% result of this cause is gene for example characteristics derived from grandparents. Apart from that, certain diseases or hormone for example lack of Growth Hormone and Thyroid are also the causes however, these two require accurate treatment from specialized doctors.
How do you know if your child is having dissimilar growth?
Basically, girls are growing faster than boys the average age is about 10-11 years old while crossing their time to 16 which later the growth will stop while the boys continue growing more around the age of 12-15 then pauses at 18. For the boys some of them their body might continuite developing until reaching 20. We can see that majority of the girls are taller than the boys during time while they are about to be a teenager. Later the boys grow and have more height. The height range of Thai men is usually 160 – 180 cm, while women is 150-170 cm.
Growth assessment is based on measurements by either comparing to normal growth or height increasing per year as below. If the height is lower than this normal standard, your kid height considered as short stature.
|
Age(year)
|
Height Rate/Year(cm.) |
|
Born- 1 |
25 |
|
1 – 2 |
10-12 |
|
2 – 4 |
7-8 |
|
4 – 10 |
5-6 |
Children suspected of having abnormal growth should be diagnosed with accurate screening. Some conditions can be healed in young age. Therefore, parents should not wait until they get older or become adolescence as result may not be very effective.
What is Growth Hormone?
Growth hormone is hormone produced by the pituitary gland. This small gland located at the central of the brain. It helps improve child development and plays role in the process of sugar production. When there is some abnormalities the gland then will stop producing growth hormone causing a child delayed development.
Detection for Abnormalities Caused by Lack of Growth Hormone
Detecting growth hormone is different from any type of blood testing as this process requires medicine to stimulate the hormone secretion. For that reason, patients require fasting before screening day. In addition, during the screening they will be looked after under nurse supervision and doctor closely.
Detecting Some Disorders caused by Hypothyroidism
Process is done by blood testing. If the hypothyroidism is found, hormone supplement will be provided to the patients.
Treatment for Patients with Genetic Disorder
Even the main cause is inevitable but there are factors that help promote the growth of children over genetics which are good eating, good exercise and enough sleep. However, the main food that cannot be missed is protein from meat as it is a nutrient that stimulates the natural growth hormone in child. In addition, energy and calories from carbohydrate as well as vitamin and minerals such as calcium are also accounted whereas, they help strengthen the bone mass and zinc, the minerals that is claimed as helper for growth improvement.
Treatment for Patients with Growth Hormone Deficiency Using Hormones Injection
Patients who respond well to the treatment by using hormone injections is those who are lack of the growth hormones. Nevertheless, if the severity is quite high then the responding could be more effective than those having less severity. Therefore, before receiving the growth hormone it is necessary to have the screening first.
Each child has different body structure, some could be short but that height still pass the standard which is not considered as the problem. However, if the parents want their children to grow better than other kids, food can play a big part. Five Food Group along with exercise and healthy sleep are the best assisters due to the growth hormone is always emitted during the sleep including exercise.
Pediatric Center
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