The growth of children is a complex process especially during infancy. What actually affect the stature is genetic, environment, health, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. According to a problem, Pediatrician at Phyathai 3 Hospital, Dr. Palinee Siritham said mentioned variables affect the growth and stature of the children for that reason parents should learn or know how to cope with it and prepare before situation goes beyond hope.
Factors Affect Your Children “Stature”?
Dr. Palinee said if the parents want a baby to grow potentially paying attention to details during pregnancy which include these factors as follows:
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- Hereditary – it is the most important factor children whose parents are having short stature will also have a simialr stature to their parents.
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- Nutrition – Eating five foods groups include starch, meat, fat, vegetables and fruits with appropriate amount is vital helper to make your children growth development improves properly.
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- Exercise – The exercise affects the growth of the bones and muscles. Exercising by doing aerobic exercise 30-45 minutes a day, such as running, swimming, rope-jumping or riding a bicycle can contribute the grow more effectively.
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- Health and Chronic Disease – The growth of children with chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, allergies or gastrointestinal disease could be affected and cause them with abnormal stature.
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- Hormones That Affect Growth
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- Growth Hormone – a hormone secreted from the anterior lobe of pituitary. It encourages and stimulates bone growth, length and strength. Children who lack of this hormone, their growth development would be slower than kids with the same age. The stature is considered lower than the standard but does not affect the body weight.
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- Thyroid hormone – a hormone secreted from the anterior lobe of pituitary. It plays an important role in regulating the body metabolism including bone growth. Hypothyroidism will also impact on the stature.
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- Glucocorticoid Hormone – a hormone that plays an important role in all types of stress. If the body contains the excessive levels of it, children then have more possibility of being short and fat prevalently found in children with asthma, kidney disease and immunodeficiency. Having the hormone for a long time would result in delayed growth as well as osteoporosis.
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- Sex Hormone – a hormone that is important for bone growth and the changes of the body according to sextual hormone divided in two types as follows:
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- Testosterone – this hormone affects testicular enlargement, hair, smell, voice and beard.
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- Estrogen or female hormone – it results in enlargement of the hip and body hair
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How to Estimate Your Child Stature?
The final stature in child could be predicted. Parents can estimate by looking at the genetic or their height. Dr. Palinee has a formula for the parents calculated as follows: (Mid-parental height or Target height)
Boy = (father height + mother height +13) / 2
Girl = (father height + mother height – 13) / 2
The possible height range is +/- 10 cm. For example the father height is 170 cm. And the mother’s is 160 cm. average height calculated then would be (170 + 160-13) divided by 2 which is equal to 158.5 cm.
However, this method might not be accurate. In fact, there is another way of the predicting by using an X-ray image of left-hand bone to assess the bone age for more precision.
Diagnosis and Growth Chart
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- The height of your child is less than the 3rd percentile means the stature is at the position in which lower than the 3rd percentile in growth chart. This explains that there are 97 boys aged the same with your child are taller than him.
Growth Chart of Thai Boy aged 2-19
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- Height rate increase faster than other kids in the same age
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- Height in lower percentile, the average genetic height derived from a formula
What are The Cause?
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- Heredity
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- Delayed puberty- the group of this child does not have any physical disease and their parents often found having the delayed puberty as well. However, the final henaith will be based on child body itself.
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- Precocious Puberty: This group of kids have fast body development at first but then the development become pause in advance according to their age.
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- Chronic illness or diseases- lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, animia, allergy or inadequate nutrition as well as stress all however affect the growth.
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- Endocrine disorders and hormones – such as hypothyroidism, lack of growth hormone.
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- Disease or congenital syndrome – such as chromosomal abnormalities, delayed growth and low body weight.
What will Happen If My Child is Short
The doctor said the problem is that child’s height might be compared to other friends. Children may feel stress by that impacting their socializing and study. Some might affected until start applying for a job or eventually become a person with chronic depression. Parents need to understand and know how to create the right comprehensive thought and support them to bring back a confidence in them.
Diagnosis
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- The doctor will review the history of illness and provide physical examination thoroughly to find the disease that might be latent.
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- Laboratory examination considering based on individual.
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- Using radiography for bone age assessment and use it as guideline of some diseases such as growth hormone deficiency, or lack of nutrition. However, for early puberty it makes the bone age older than the actual one.
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- Endocrine Testing most common used is the measurement of growth hormone levels done in several ways. The most popular way to do is done after done after receiving a stimulant.
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- Medication: All data are taken together so that a doctor is able to decide types of medicine however, some cases might not need to take it. Therefore, receiving consulting should be enough.
How to Treat Patients with Growth Hormone?
Children who have been diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency,need to be treated with hormone-boosting therapy said Dr. Palinee. The doctor will calculate the dose of medicines with body weight. And children need to have an injection once a day before bedtime.
Recommendations for Parents
If you observe some abnormalities in the child growth please immediately receive medical advice and take him or her to a doctor as when there is a problem all could be fixed in time by a proper suggestions for example letting a child workout everyday, having a healthy food as well as making a right recreation activity for them which drive all procedures to accomplishment.
This is for the children to maintain and promote proper growth and full potential according to their age.
Dr. Palinee Siritham
Pediatrician
Phyathai 3 Hospital
Tel. +662-467-1111 ext. 3419
Special Thank to
Growth chart of 2-19 year-old Thai boy by Thai Society for Pediatric Endocrinology
