If a child does not grow as fast as other children, it can have an impact on the whole family. Many children who are shorter than their peers may experience emotional problems, be bullied at school, or have difficulty in daily activities such as sports. The growth problems in children varies; some children have growth problems. Read about possible causes like growth hormone.Many factors affect a child’s growth. Growth and development can be affected by:
Table of Contents.
- the genetic
- eating habits and nutrition
- sleep patterns
- endocrine function (hormones)
- the presence or absence of a chronic disease
Each child grows at a different rate. Do not try to compare your child’s growth with that of other children of the same age. The parent should regularly check their child’s growth with the help of growth charts and the consulting pediatrician.
If not monitoring the child’s growth carefully, we cannot detect Growth Problems In Children, and it stops from reaching an optimal height and weight. It may affect other aspects of his mental, physical, or emotional development.
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Growth hormone deficiency
When a doctor diagnoses a child with Growth Hormone Deficiency, it means that his body does not sufficiently produce this hormone, Pituitary gland produces the growth hormone. The size of the gland-like walnut and it locates at the base of the brain. The growth hormone is required to grow and develop normally during childhood and, perhaps, later in life.
Types of growth disorders
Stature-weight delay
” Static-ponderal retardation ” is not a growth disorder. It can identify in Children whose weight or rate of weight gain is significantly less than other children of the same age and same-sex.
Many factors can cause Stature-weight delay:
- feeding problems
- disease, poverty
- malnutrition
- the weak interaction between parents and child
Regardless of their origin, all children with weight-status retardation are at risk of slow growth or stunting.
Short stature
“Short stature” is also a way of descriptive classification. It is not considered a growth disorder. Children whose height rate of increase in height is less than that of other children of the same age and same-sex.
Some of the causes of short stature may be the same as that of stature-weight delay. Commonly, it is related to genetics and not diseases. Some children grow more slowly but culminate their growth at an older age and thereby attain standard heights. Other children simply inherit the final stature from one parent.
Short children may not eat as much as you would like since they do not need it until they reach the stage of lugging (growth spurt). If children eat more, they may gain weight but not height.
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Endocrine diseases
The endocrine system is a system of chemical messengers that carries hormones throughout the body. Hormones help regulate bodily processes, including growth. When there is an endocrine system disorder, growth can stop.
Endocrine disorders include:
- Growth hormone (somatotrophin) deficiency: This rare disease occurs when a child’s growth hormone level is low or absent. The pituitary produces the growth hormone and stimulates growth through chemical interactions in the body. Without it, or a sufficient amount of it, growth is slow or stops completely
- Hypothyroidism: It is a disease caused by low levels of thyroid hormone in the blood. Without a sufficient amount of this hormone, babies can have inadequate brain development. Older children may have slow growth and slow metabolism
Turner syndrome
Short stature occurs in girls with Turner syndrome. Turner syndrome manifests itself when a girl is born with a missing or damaged X chromosome. Girls with Turner syndrome are unable to reproduce because their ovaries do not develop properly. Besides, they may present other physical signs.
Signs and Symptoms of Growth Problems In Children
A child with Growth Hormone Deficiency usually grows less than 4 to 5 cm per year. It is common for the child to grow the same as the others until two or three years of age, but later his growth begins to be slower. It is important to note that the child may appear smaller than average but with normal body proportions. In other words, Children of the same age who are growing differ from children with Growth Hormone Deficiency who looks younger and more body fat.
An infant or toddler growth problem can be detected after length or height measurements indicate a slower growth rate than average.
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Other causes of growth problems:
Alterations in health and nutrition almost always affect growth. Other causes of growth problems include:
- severe diseases of the brain, heart, kidneys, or lungs
- inflammatory bowel disease
- chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome
- Cushing’s syndrome (abnormally high cortisol levels)
- rare genetic syndromes
How a Doctor can help Growth Problems In Children
The pediatrician can help by regularly monitoring your child’s growth. Proper growth monitoring and evaluation include measuring:
- the length in lying (lying) position from birth to two to three years of age
- standing height for children who can stand
- the weight
- head circumference up to 2 years
Using a weight assessment alone is not helpful. It does not allow us to distinguish between a tall and thin child from another obese or well-proportioned one.
Children who have slowly growing or stop growing may need to undergo additional studies to determine the cause. Once the weight-status, the doctor may refer your child to an endocrinologist. This specialist will look for the possible causes of the growing problem. Blood tests, x-rays, and scans of the body or brain can help determine the cause of the growing problem.
Treatment Growth Problems In Children
If the presence of a specific disease is determined, individual treatment options may be available to increase the child’s final height. Growth problems caused by endocrine disorders such as treating hypothyroidism with thyroid replacement pills. Growth hormone injections may prescribe to children with growth hormone deficiency or Turner syndrome.
What can you do to help your child with growth problems
Have your child weighed and measured each of the following:
- within 1 to 2 weeks of birth
- per month, and at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months
- once a year between 4 and 6 years old
Older children and teens should also be measured once a year.
Once a child diagnoses with a growth problem, it is essential to emphasize the child’s other characteristics, such as his musical ability or fondness for reading. Parents should help develop a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Also, it may be essential to talk to your child about the best ways to react to peers who can comment on his short stature.
Small for Gestational Age Effect Growth Problems In Children
While 90% of children born with this condition manage to grow to a standard average height during their first years, the remaining 10% remain very small for their age when they reach the age of two. For these children, the risk of being short when they are adults is 5 to 7 times higher.
A child who is born Small for Gestational Age (less than average in length and weight for a given week of gestation), he may remain relatively young at a later age and even as an adult.
The causes for a child to be Small for Gestational Age are quite complex and may include:
- Factors associated with the mother’s age
- Infections contracted during pregnancy
- Alcohol intake
- Smoking
How does this condition affect the child’s height?
A child with Growth Hormone Deficiency usually grows less than 4 to 5 cm per year. It is common for the child to grow the same as the others until two or three years of age, but later his growth begins to be slower. It is important to note that the child may appear smaller than average but with normal body proportions. In other words, Children of the same age who are growing differ from children with Growth Hormone Deficiency who looks younger and more body fat.
Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults
This deficiency can affect a person for the first time in adulthood, or it can be the result of this condition continuing if a Growth Hormone Deficiency detects early as a child.
How can growth hormone deficiency affect adulthood?
Growth Hormone Deficiency can cause various problems such as decreased vitality and decreased ability to exercise, or poor memory. It can also have adverse effects on the proportion of fat, muscle, and bone in your body, which in turn can have the following consequences:
- Increased body fat
- Increased cholesterol in the blood
- Reduction in muscle mass
- Weakening in the structure of the bones
Lack of oxygen that would have to reach the fetus through the placenta’s blood supply or an inherited disorder that affects its growth before birth. However, in many cases, doctors cannot find any particular reason for a child to be born with this condition.
When it is convenient to request medical assistance
All parents should visit the pediatrician regularly, but if you discover a sign or symptom that concerns you, see your doctor immediately.
Key points
- Monitoring a child’s growth regular basis with the help of growth charts and the pediatrician
- Poor diet or disease can lead to slow growth, but this may not be a growth disorder
- A growth disorder can present at birth or can be acquired later
- Medication will not treat a few Disorders related to growth
