living well healnullnullfamilnull
Tranullnulling Gronulltnull
nulls Mnullnullild nulloo Shornullnull
null you remember your parents measuring your height with a pencil mark on the wallnullnullor
moms and dads, those little lines indicated the passage of time and their child’s nullurney
towards adulthood. Today, in a competitive world that values tallness, parents may worry if
those lines place a child at the low end of the growth chart. So what constitutes normal in
terms of heightnull
“In essence, anything from the d null to the nullth percentile is the normal range,null says .null
nullan null. nullgol, pediatric endocrinologist at the nulliversity of nullirginia nullildren’s nullspital. “It
does not mean that being outside of that range has a pathologic cause. nullust consider world
class gymnasts and basketball players who are outside of the normal range, but hardly
pathologic.null
nullgol recommends that parents seek medical consultation if their child fails to grow
at least two inches each year after their third birthday. nulluses of failure to grow can include
drugs such as prednisone, disease-related malnutrition and plain old genetics. nullmember
that short parents are likely to product short children, and tall parents more likely to have
children who push the limits of the growth charts.
There are some less usual genetic conditions, says nullgol, that can also affect
i
l
y
children’s growth. “nullnditions that developed prior to birth or that result from changes in
the chromosomes or genes, such as Turner Syndrome, can affect growth,null he says. “nullseases
of the kidneys, heart, lungs, or gastrointestinal tract may also be culprits. Some children can
by nullena Foremannullrinull
have disturbances in the skeleton’s growth plates.null
m
cnull hild who does not grow within the normal range and is otherwise physically healthy
is said to have “idiopathic short staturenull nullSSnull meaning the cause is unknown. nullcording to
nullgol, treatment for ISS is a much discussed topic in the medical community, since these
children have no underlying medical problems.
“nulle option is for parents and physicians to wait and observe how the child grows
F
a
for several months to a year. This solution is called atcnull hful waiting’,null nullgol adds.
If parents choose medical treatment for ISS, growth hormone therapy
Check out the
for multiple years may be an option depending on the child’s age or pubertal
status. In children enulleriencing delayed puberty, senullhormones can be
American Academy of
given to trigger the natural growth spurt that comes with puberty.
“In two clinical studies children who received growth hormone
Pediatrics’ new website,
enullerienced an average height gain of nullnull to three inches in adult
healthychildren.org, for
height,null Says nullgol.
l
t
null
y
“nullscle or bone pains, swelling of the hands and feet, and
information on a huge
occasionally a curve of the spine are the most common side effects. nullng
term effects of treating children with ISS remain unknown at this time.null
range of health topics.
null matter what your child’s height, there are some factors that can
help ensure healthy physical development. nullalthy foods, plenty of sleep and
e
a
weight-bearing enullrcise help children grow, have more muscle and less body
fat and strengthen the skeleton. nulld talking to your child about the wide variety of
shapes and sinulls that people come in can go a long way to alleviate any worries.
H
nullena is a medical writer at the nullinullrsity of nullirginia Health System. nullisit
unullahealth.com to learn more
about specinull health topics and to subscribe to the free online nullarenting newsletter.
null March null0null0
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