The latest "Growth Standards for Children Under 7 Years of Age" issued by the National Health Commission came into effect on March 1. Compared to the previous version, the height "standard value" of children of most age groups has increased.
At present, Wuhan medical institutions have not received a notice to "refresh" height standards clinically. However, worried that the child's height will not catch up with the increase in the "standard", some parents go to the hospital early for consultation. In this regard, pediatricians said: children's height has congenital factors, but also acquired effects, parents can reasonably expect, pay close attention, actively intervene, as far as possible to help children grow taller.
01
A new standard for children's height
"slightly higher" than Wuhan clinical use standards
On March 4, on the 6th floor of the outpatient clinic of Wuhan Children's Hospital, in front of the triage desk of the child health care department, many parents were holding their children and waiting for treatment.
Ms. Zhang, a 29-year-old citizen, was bringing her daughter to check on her growth and development that day. Before the child was half a year old, he had to come to the children's physical examination every month, measuring data such as height, weight and head circumference, and now he is 10 months old, and he comes to do a children's physical examination every two months, and the whole family is very concerned about the child's height and weight.
In the child health department of Wuhan Children's Hospital, parents wait with their children. Photo by reporter Wang Chunlan
Xiao Fang, an expert in the pediatric department of Wuhan Children's Hospital, has been engaged in child health care for many years. She told the Yangtze River Daily reporter that at present, she and her colleagues still use the "Nine Cities Standard" in clinical practice. This version is produced by the Growth and Development Laboratory of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, based on the 2005 survey data of children's physical development in nine provinces/cities, and the reference age group is 0-18 years old.
Xiao Fang introduced that since 1975, the state has organized physical surveys of children in nine cities and suburban villages in Beijing, Harbin, Xi'an, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Guangzhou and Kunming every 10 years, so as to obtain a reference standard for children's growth and development (commonly known as the "nine-city standard"), which is a large sample survey nationwide and is more in line with the growth and development of mainland children.
"The new standard released this time represents an increase in median (i.e., "standard height") for most age groups compared to the standard now used clinically. Taking a 6-year-old girl as an example, the previous standard height median was 116.6 cm, and the new standard reached 117.5 cm, an increase of 0.9 cm; the previous standard height of a 6-year-old boy was 117.7 cm, and the new standard reached 118.8 cm, an increase of 1.1 cm. Xiao Fang believes that this is related to factors such as the increase in children's nutrition and exercise.
02
The baby is only two years old
Parents are already worried about height
Liu Hua, a child health care doctor, is often too busy to drink water when she sits at the "Child Growth and Development" clinic. "It is said that spring is the season to grow taller, and parents are very concerned about the height of their children, and many people bring their children to consult. The youngest baby I recently met is only two years old. Liu Hua said.
He introduced that the baby is a boy, the father is 1.66 meters tall, the mother is 1.58 meters tall, and the baby is 50 centimeters long when he is born, which is very standard. But after walking, his parents found that he was shorter than toddlers of the same age, now 2 years and 1 month old, 83 centimeters tall. After inquiring about the child's height standard, it was found that the child was at the middle and lower level of children of the same age, and the parents were panicked and busily consulted: how to make the child grow taller.
The "Child Growth and Development" clinic is popular among parents. Photo by reporter Wang Chunlan
"According to the current standard, the standard height of a 2-year-old boy is 88.5 centimeters, and this baby is indeed short. Inquiring about daily life and daily life, it was found that the child's physique was weak, and he frequently fell ill after the age of 1, which affected the level of growth and development and affected the child's growth. Liu Hua said.
On the other hand, children's adult height is related to genetics, sleep, nutrition, exercise, mood and other factors, but genetic factors have a greater impact. According to the formula of "boy's height = (father's height + mother's height + 13 cm) ÷2±5 cm", under normal circumstances, the baby's adult height will be between 1.64-1.74 meters, and the probability of suddenly becoming more than 1.8 meters tall is not large.
Therefore, Liu Hua suggested that the parents adjust their feeding methods, try to strengthen their child's resistance, ensure balanced nutrition, appropriate activities, and do their best to help him grow taller; Keep a height record for your child to ensure that the height gain of each age is within the normal range.
03
Focus on height
These two periods are important
Just two days before the latest height standard was implemented, at the end of February, a news rushed to the hot search: #Parents did not pay attention to the final height of 15-year-old son 1.53 meters#, causing heated discussions among netizens.
"I have encountered a similar situation in the outpatient clinic, the child has always been short in height, and the parents think that the child will 'grow later' and wait until the age of fifteen or sixteen to come to the consultation. As a result, as soon as the bone age is measured, the child has no room to grow taller, and at this time to strengthen nutrition and exercise, the effect is also very limited. Liu Hua said.
When should parents start paying attention to their children's height? Liu Hua suggested that it is best to record the height of the child every year and pay attention to the growth curve, especially the height growth trend of the two rapid growth periods.
The first rapid growth period is infancy and early childhood from 0 to 3 years old. The average newborn is 50 centimeters long, and in the first 3 years of life, the height will soar by about 45 centimeters. Among them, it can grow 25 cm tall in the first year and an average of 10 cm per year thereafter.
The second period of rapid growth is the pre-adolescence, when the child will suddenly rise in size. Girls are mostly between 11 and 13 years old, and boys are mostly between 13 and 15 years old. In these two years, girls can grow an average of 7-10 cm per year, and boys can grow an average of 8-12 cm per year.
Liu Hua said that parents can pay attention to whether the annual growth and height of their children is within the normal range, so as to judge the child's growth and development level; It can also help children seize these two critical periods by adjusting diet, sleep, exercise, etc. Once you find that your child's height increase is lower than the normal range, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to investigate the cause.
04
Doctor reminds
These indicators also affect growth and height
"Parents are more concerned about whether their children's height is up to standard, but ignore their children's weight indicators. In fact, weight and body mass index (i.e. BMI = weight ÷ height²) are also important. BMI can reflect the degree of body shape and is used to determine whether you are overweight or obese. Obesity can also affect taller growth. Liu Hua said.
Liu Hua analyzed the growth and development of children with parents on height standards. Photo by reporter Wang Chunlan
He analyzed that with the improvement of living standards, parents pay more and more attention to the nutritional level of children, but some children eat well, move less, and are obviously fat. If the child is too obese, the risk of accelerated bone age increases, "shortening" the time period for the child to grow taller, and affecting the final height of adulthood. Obese children are also prone to high blood pressure, hyperinsulinemia, fatty liver, atherosclerosis and other diseases, leaving health risks. In addition, some children may also affect mental health due to obesity, which will also affect the child's endocrine status, which in turn affects height growth.
Therefore, he suggested that parents should pay attention to the child's weight while paying attention to the child's height, regularly monitor the bone age, monitor height and weight every 3-6 months, and monitor the bone age every 1-2 years, "bone age and height match, the child can grow healthy and taller."
Source: 37 degrees Li丨Yangtze River Health Fusion Media