Doctor CKI Le Kim Hue, a nutrition expert at the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center, said that there are many factors that affect children's height. Applying medicine at the right time and in the right way can help children increase their height and become more confident in life.

- What is the current status of height and nutrition in Vietnamese children?

The results of the 2019-2020 Nutrition Survey by the Ministry of Health show that the rate of stunting in children under 5 years old nationwide is 19.6. However, Vietnam still has regional differences in the rate of stunting.

The reason is that Vietnamese children's nutrition has improved but not evenly. In big cities, children's nutritional status tends to be overweight and obese. Meanwhile, many poor communes and ethnic minority areas still lack food, information and knowledge on child care... leading to high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

- In addition, are there any other reasons why children grow slowly or do not grow tall?

There are many factors that affect a child's height, of which the following causes are more common:

Growth hormone deficiency, also known as growth hormone (GH): The child's body has a problem producing or releasing insufficient growth hormone, leading to deficiency, affecting height.

Hypothyroidism: Thyroid hormones directly affect growth and metabolism. When the body does not secrete enough thyroid hormones, it also causes children to grow slowly.

Family history: If both parents are below average height, it is unlikely that their children will have outstanding height.

Fetal malnutrition : Children born with low birth weight under 2.5 kg may have their future height affected.

Turner syndrome: Children with this syndrome are missing part or all of the X sex chromosome in their genome.

In addition, children with rickets, micronutrient deficiencies such as vitamin A, iron, iodine deficiency, or chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease, Down syndrome... are also affected in height.

- How can families help their children grow taller naturally?

Families should pay attention to their babies from the fetal stage, when they are 0-3 years old and puberty. Parents should monitor their children's body indicators as recommended, and then take their children for regular health check-ups to detect problems and intervene as early as possible.

If children do not have health problems, they need to exercise regularly. A sedentary lifestyle will inhibit the development of cartilage, muscles, and bones, thereby reducing height growth. In addition, sports also help to be healthy and develop comprehensive physical health.

Families should pay attention to giving their children a balanced and balanced diet according to the Vietnamese nutrition pyramid model. Nutrition is the most important factor, which can affect 32% of a child's height development.

- The doctor mentioned that the reason children grow slowly is due to a lack of growth hormone, so how can this problem be solved?

Children with stunted growth, suspected of growth hormone deficiency, need to be examined and diagnosed promptly. Children can be treated by using growth hormone, this method has been applied in many developed countries.

Specifically, families should have their children examined and treated before puberty (4-13 years old) because the drug is no longer effective or less effective in later stages. Children will be injected with hormones before going to bed from 9-10 pm, with a specific dosage calculated by the doctor in the protocol. If the treatment is responsive, the child's height can increase by 8-12 cm per year.

However, the method of using growth hormone must be prescribed by a specialist in accordance with the physical condition of each child. Injection devices and injection solutions containing growth hormone also need to be closely monitored by experts to ensure the correct injection dosage and avoid side effects.

Van Ha
(Source: FPT Long Chau)