Understanding the Factors That Determine Height in Children: Genetics, Nutrition, and Growth Plates

2023-10-05 02:38:17

In the clinic, we often hear complaints like: “Mom! It’s all you who made me so short!” The angry little boy who has been sitting in the front row since he was a child keeps complaining to his mother.

“You don’t exercise no matter who tells you! You don’t go to bed early even if you are told to go to bed early. You are procrastinating!” Mom answered him angrily, turning around and scolding Dad behind her, “It’s all your fault! You are obviously shorter, so every day It’s all my fault every time!”

It is conceivable that anxious parents will start asking around for “recipes” for growing taller, and at the same time anxiously ask: “Doctor, doctor, why can’t my child grow taller?”

Q1: A child’s height is mainly inherited from his father’s height. Is it all the father’s problem whether the child grows taller?

A: In fact, under the premise of balanced nutrition, 90% of a child’s height is related to the genetics of the parents. So which one is more important, the father’s factor or the mother’s factor? Is it related to the gender of the child? Usually we use a formula to predict the height of our children, called “target height.” The formula is as follows:

Son = (father’s height + mother’s height + 13 cm)/2

Daughter = (father’s height + mother’s height – 13 cm)/2

After such calculations, there is still a gap of several centimeters from the final actual height. Although heredity is a very important factor that affects height, it is definitely not the only factor! It seems that each father and mother contribute half to the height, so everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

Instead of arguing about which parent contributes more to height, it is better to correctly understand the physiological structure of height! actually,The key to determining height is the “growth plate”! Growth plates are transparent soft tissues located at the ends of the bones of the limbs and the upper and lower ends of the spine. Through continuous division and proliferation, the height increases.Therefore, once the growth plate is closed, no matter how much external growth hormone is given, the purpose of heightening cannot be achieved.

Under the premise of nutritional (balanced) status70% of the initiative in a child’s height is in the hands of parents.Parents’ genetics are the main factor in determining a child’s heightbecause 35% of the factors that determine height come from the father and 35% from the mother.If both parents are not tall, then it depends on the baby’s 30% effort.

Q2Is it really more useful to help children increase their height from infancy?

A: As the saying goes, “I hope my son will become a dragon and I hope my daughter will become a phoenix.” Parents hope that their sons will be as tall as Yao Ming and their daughters will be as tall and beautiful as Lin Chiling. In addition to seeking various secrets for growing taller during the developmental period, more and more people even think that they should start to make up for their height during the fetal period. If the height at birth is higher than others, they will win at the starting line! But, is this really the case?

Indeed, the fetus in the womb grows most rapidly during its growth period. If the fetus does not receive enough nutrition at this time, or the mother’s placenta is affected by certain factors, the baby will be smaller and lighter than expected when it is born.

For example: During the 3 to 6 months of pregnancy when the fetus is growing most rapidly, if a mother smokes or drinks alcohol, the placenta is affected, causing the newborn to be shorter and lighter, smaller than the expected height and weight; another study found It was found that if the mother is too obese or malnourished during pregnancy, the height and weight of the newborn will not be as expected.

However, even for newborns who are at a disadvantage at birth, most children can still catch up with their originally expected height after postnatal adjustments! so,Supplementing proper nutrition during pregnancy and maintaining normal and stable hormone secretion after birth are the only ways to grow taller!

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Q3: If you want your children to grow taller, is supplementing calcium more important than supplementing protein?

A: In fact, calcium and protein are equally important. During the golden period of growth, providing children with sufficient nutrients will help their growth and development!

Regarding the golden growth period for growing taller, men and women are very different.

boys

Growth begins between the ages of 11 and 14, with peak growth occurring at the age of 15. After that, the growth rate slows down and stops at the age of 20 to 21 years. At the same time, the secondary sexual characteristics will first appear as the testicles become enlarged, then the penis becomes longer and thicker, pubic hair begins to appear, and gradually the pubic hair becomes thicker and denser, and finally the voice changes and a beard grows.

woman

Growth begins between the ages of 9 and 11, with peak growth occurring around the age of 12. After that, growth slows down and stops at the age of 15 to 18. At the same time, the secondary sexual characteristics will first appear as breast enlargement, and sometimes you will feel a hard lump in the chest, because they do not necessarily develop simultaneously and symmetrically. Then, pubic hair and armpit hair will begin to grow, and gradually the pubic hair will become thicker and denser, and finally there will be The onset of menstruation.

As the growth rate increases, the child’s demand for calcium and protein will increase. Therefore, children can usually be given more calcium-rich foods such as soy products, seafood, and sesame seeds; in addition, they can also eat more protein-rich foods such as eggs, dairy products, beef, and chicken.

Protein: Constitutes the development of body organs, muscles and nerves, and the generation of immunity.

Calcium: The daily calcium requirement for infants and young children is 500 to 600 mg, and for teenagers is 1,200 mg. Calcium deficiency can cause the stability of cell membranes to decrease, making hands and feet prone to cramps. Calcium supplementation can promote bone development and alleviate allergies. happen.

In addition to calcium and protein, there are also some important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, etc. Vitamin A can promote the activity of cartilage cells, and vitamin D can help the absorption of calcium. These nutrients can be absorbed through diet. Therefore, you can also give your children more celery, tomatoes, green peppers, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and other foods. If you add cereals, soybeans, corn, etc. to the staple food, you will have better results.

For children,Food supplements are the healthiest and safest wayyou might as well look for a professional Chinese medicine practitioner near your home.Develop the most suitable nutritional supplement menu for your childit’s not good to go too far or not to go as far as possible.If you overdo it during puberty, it will accelerate bone plate sealing or cause growth hormone disorders.

(This article is excerpted from “Please live like this with me – it’s your parents’ fault whether you grow taller”, provided by Dr. Peng Wenya)

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