Height is one of the important indicators reflecting a child’s development. However, many diseases can negatively impact the height growth process. This article by HIUP will highlight the diseases that affect children’s height, how to detect them, and their treatment.
Contents
Factors Affecting Children’s Height Development
A child’s height development is related to various factors such as:
- Genetics: This factor plays an important role in height growth. Accordingly, the child’s height is usually within a range of -2 to +2 standard deviations compared to the parents’ average height.
- Nutrition: This factor also plays an important role in a child’s height development, especially in the early stages of life. A balanced and adequate diet with essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and protein will help the child achieve optimal height development.
- Physical Activity: Regular exercise stimulates the development of the skeletal system, thereby optimizing height growth. Exercises that are good for height development in children include swimming, jumping rope, and playing basketball.
- Living Environment: Children living in polluted and unhygienic environments are at high risk of developing diseases that affect height growth. Conversely, a clean living environment with adequate sunlight will help children develop better height.
Diseases That Affect Children’s Height
There are many diseases that affect children’s height, including:
Impact of Genetic Disorders on Height
Genetic disorders are one of the common causes of height problems in children. Genetic or chromosomal abnormalities can lead to genetic syndromes such as Turner syndrome or various types of skeletal dysplasia. In these cases, height development is severely affected from birth.
Turner syndrome is a common genetic disorder that affects females, caused by an abnormality of the X chromosome. Characteristic symptoms include short stature, sexual development issues, and other health problems. Girls with Turner syndrome usually have very short stature compared to peers if not treated in time.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a condition where the body lacks essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin D, etc. These are all crucial nutrients for bone development. A deficiency in these nutrients will cause bones to develop slowly and weakly, leading to stunted growth.
Rickets
One of the diseases affecting height is rickets. This disease is caused by a deficiency in calcium and vitamin D, leading to weak and deformed bones. Children with rickets typically grow in height more slowly than normal children. Short stature can also affect a child’s appearance and self-confidence.
Endocrine Disorders
Hormones such as thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), growth hormone (GH), and sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone) play a crucial role in bone development. Endocrine disorders are also one of the main causes of slow growth and short stature in children. Growth hormone deficiency is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting height development.
Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the pituitary gland and plays a vital role in bone development and height growth. When the body lacks this hormone, children may experience issues such as slow growth, short stature, and potentially dwarfism if not treated properly.
Thyroid Gland Diseases
Diseases related to the thyroid gland, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and goiter, are also diseases that affect height. Among them, hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much hormone, accelerating height development but potentially stopping growth afterward.
Conversely, hypothyroidism is caused by the thyroid gland not producing enough hormone, hindering height growth. Goiter is a condition where the thyroid gland swells, reducing the production of thyroid hormone and affecting a child’s development.
How to Detect and Treat Diseases Affecting Children’s Height
To detect and treat diseases affecting height, parents should pay attention to abnormalities in their child’s development, such as:
Height not increasing for an extended period.
Slow height growth compared to peers.
The child’s height is lower than the average for their age.
Facing health problems, including digestive disorders, sore throat, asthma, diabetes, etc.
For diseases affecting height, the treatment method will depend on the specific cause. For example, for conditions related to growth hormone deficiency, the doctor will provide hormone replacement therapy to increase the child’s height. If the condition is related to nutrition, the doctor will guide the supplementation of adequate nutrients.
How to Help Children Develop Better Height
Encouraging children to exercise is one of the ways to help them develop better height.
- Encouraging Regular Physical Activity: Exercise is one of the effective ways for children to develop height. Encourage children to participate in activities such as basketball, football, swimming, running, etc. This not only enhances their health but also promotes growth.
- Establishing Regular Habits: Regular habits also affect height development. Children need to go to bed on time and get at least 8 hours of sleep each day. Avoid letting children consume too much fast food, sweets, and fried foods, as these are not good for health and can hinder height growth.
- Monitoring the Child’s Development: Parents need to pay attention to the child’s development, including weight, height, nutrition, and overall health. If any abnormalities related to the child’s development are detected, take the child to the doctor for timely examination and treatment.
- Avoiding Stress and Pressure on the Child: Research shows that stress and pressure can reduce a child’s height. Therefore, parents should avoid creating unnecessary pressure and provide an ideal living environment for the child.
Above is all the information about diseases that affect height, how to detect them, and treatment methods that HIUP wants to share. We hope this information will be helpful for parents in caring for their children to achieve their ideal height.
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