Patient's question:
The son is almost two years old now, but he's only 76cm tall. His height is quite short. He's very small in stature, and most other children around his age are taller and bigger in size. He eats quite a lot, but he doesn't seem to grow. His intelligence, reaction, and other aspects are all quite good. His teeth are almost fully grown, and he can say many words now. His father is 170cm tall, and I am 159cm tall. Please experts, tell me what I should do, how can I make my son grow taller? Urgent! Urgent!Doctor's answer:
Hello, the child is only 2 years old, so there's no need to worry. Just make sure they are well-fed and taken care of every day.Moreover, the rate of height growth from birth to puberty varies from person to person, and the way people grow taller is also different. Some people grow gradually, some grow faster at first and then slower, and some grow in jumps.
Pay attention to a balanced diet with proper nutrition. Eat one egg a day and consume foods rich in vitamins, calcium, and iron, such as milk, spinach, liver, oranges, etc.
Advice:
■ Whether a person grows tall or not depends on several factors. First and foremost is genetic factors, accounting for 70%. Additionally, it depends on other conditions, including exercise, nutrition, environment, and social factors. To help the child grow taller, parents should pay attention to the following points:
1. Don’t miss the growth spurt period
During the growth and development of children and adolescents, when is the period of fastest height increase? Research shows that the peak of rapid height growth for most Chinese Han children is around the age of 12 for girls and 14 for boys. For 90% of girls, the fastest height growth occurs between the ages of 11 and 13, and for boys, it is between 13 and 15. To help the child grow taller, parents should pay special attention to their nutrition and exercise during this growth spurt period.
2. Focus on nutritional supplementation
Nutrition is key to normal physical growth. The energy, protein, and amino acids required for normal physical growth must be supplied by food, mainly meat, eggs, and legumes. Bone formation also requires sufficient amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and trace amounts of manganese and iron. Insufficient calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency can lead to inadequate bone mineralization. Vitamin A deficiency can make bones shorter and thicker, while vitamin C deficiency can cause defects in interstitial formation, making bones brittle. All of these can affect bone growth. Currently, most families have a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables, ensuring comprehensive and sufficient nutrition. Parents should pay attention not to let the child develop a habit of picky eating, and avoid excessive snacking, which may affect the intake of essential nutrients.
3. Don’t neglect physical exercise
Sports can enhance the body’s metabolism, accelerate blood circulation, promote the secretion of growth hormone, speed up bone tissue growth, and benefit height increase. The following exercises can help improve height. Try them out.
1. Swinging on a bar
Use a single bar or a doorframe. The height should be such that your feet can just touch the ground when you hang. Hold the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, feet together, and swing your body forward and backward. Don’t swing too hard or for too long. The best time to practice is in the morning. Relax your body and hang for 20 seconds. Young men should do 10–15 repetitions, while young women should do 2–6 repetitions.
2. Jumping to touch high
Jump up with both hands to touch a pre-set object, such as a tree branch, basketball hoop, or ceiling. Jump 30 times. Rest for a moment, then do the same with each foot separately.
3. Ball games
During basketball, actively compete for rebounds and jump to intercept balls. In volleyball, try to jump high and perform more spikes and blocks. In soccer, practice jumping to forehead.
4. Jumping exercises
Perform single-leg jumps, frog jumps, triple jumps, multi-jump steps, and vertical jumps.
4. Don’t forget to create a good living environment
Abnormalities in the nervous system can also affect a child’s physical growth. For example, if parents are divorced, the relationship between the child and guardian is abnormal, or the child is often abused, or if the child is exposed to other severe stress, their growth rate may gradually slow down, causing their height to fall below the normal range for their age and gender. Short stature can worsen the child’s self-esteem, as the psychological and social stimuli they experience can affect the transmission of nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex to the hypothalamus, thereby inhibiting the pituitary gland from secreting growth hormone. If the child’s environment improves, their growth rate can return to normal.
5. Don’t neglect the active prevention and treatment of chronic diseases
Chronic diseases during childhood and adolescence should be actively treated. Long-term conditions such as chronic infections, chronic hepatitis, chronic nephritis, asthma, heart disease, and anemia can all affect growth and development. Genetic bone diseases, such as osteochondrodysplasia, can also limit bone growth.
Lifestyle care:
These exercises can help correct physical defects such as short legs, spinal curvature, flat feet, and "O" legs, promote bone growth, and regulate the nervous and endocrine functions as well as various physiological functions to achieve optimal conditions, thereby helping to increase height. Most importantly, be serious and persistent.
Hope this helps. May the child grow up quickly and healthily.