How to help children grow taller

This article is professionally consulted by Resident Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Hung Tien - Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Many studies suggest that genetic factors account for 60-80% of a person's final height. The remaining percentage is usually related to nutrition and exercise. In general, height stops growing after a child goes through puberty. However, there are ways to help children reach their maximum developmental potential, and even as adults, maintain their height and overall health.

There are many factors that affect the height growth of children. Here are the most common factors that can significantly affect a child's height growth, including:

Statistically, boys tend to be taller than girls

In general, a person's height will be closely related to genetic factors in the family. Most family members will grow in height at a similar rate and are roughly the same height. However, this does not mean that short parents will not be able to have tall children.

Medical conditions in children can affect their physical development. For example, children with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder, can make a child unusually tall. On the other hand, some medical conditions such as celiac disease, arthritis, and cancer can cause a child to be shorter than other family members as well as children of the same age. In addition, children who use certain drugs such as corticosteroids for a long time can also limit their height growth.

Children who are overweight seem to be taller than others, while children who are underweight or malnourished tend to be shorter. However, this does not always accurately predict a child's final height.
MORE: How to increase maximum height during puberty

Currently there are several formulas that help to estimate the height of a child. Although, there is no proven method that can reliably predict the height of a child, but through them can help you get a rough estimate. Specifically:

For boys, double their height by the time they are two years old. For girls, double their height by the time she turns 18 months old. For example, if an 18-month-old girl is 31 inches tall, then her predicted height would be doubled and the result would be 62 inches, or 5 feet 2 inches.

You can predict your child's height by taking the father's height plus the mother's height (in inches). Then add the calculated total by 5 inches (for boys) or subtract 5 inches (for girls). Next, divide this result by 2. For example, for a boy whose father is 6 feet (72 inches) tall and his mother is 5 feet 6 inches (66 inches) tall, his predicted height would be calculated as follows. :
B1: 72 + 66 = 138 inches B2: 138 + 5 inches = 143 B3: 143/2 = 71.5 inches. So the boy is estimated to be about 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Your doctor may order X-rays of your child's hands and wrists so that the growth plates of the bones can be seen. During childhood, the growth plates become thinner. By the time the child is an adult, these growth plates will disappear. Your doctor can use bone age studies to determine how much longer your child can grow and grow.
SEE ALSO: Height development for children in puberty

Most boys and girls will experience a tremendous growth in height during puberty. However, this will happen at different ages for each sex.
Researchers say that girls usually start puberty between the ages of 8 and 13. During this period, children will begin to develop breasts and have their first menstrual cycle. For boys, puberty begins a little later, usually between the ages of 9 and 14.
Because girls tend to grow taller first, they may stop growing at a younger age, usually around 16 years old. However, boys will continue to grow in height until the age of 18.
In general, the rate of height growth in each child is different. How long a child takes to grow in height may depend on when they go through puberty. If a child reaches puberty later than other children of the same age, they may also grow taller until a later age.

If you are concerned that your baby won't be able to grow in height at the expected rate, it's best to talk to your pediatrician early. Your doctor will evaluate your child's average growth based on your child's age and sex. If a child suddenly shows signs of growth retardation or is much lower than the average curves shown on the growth chart, it is highly likely that it is related to hormonal factors in the child's body or other factors. genetic factor.
Several factors can affect a child's development, including:
Kidney disorders Food absorption problems Thyroid disorders Overeating Heart or lung disorders Growth hormone disorders Doctor An endocrinologist may conduct blood tests on the child's blood and other tests to determine what factors may be affecting the child's growth.
SEE ALSO: Nutritional menu for height development

Although, a child's height may depend on genetic factors, but to help children grow and develop healthy, healthy daily habits from nutrition to exercise. Education are extremely important "keys".
Here are some methods to help children increase their height effectively and at the same time enhance their overall health:

During puberty, children need to get the nutrients their bodies need, so in their diet, make sure to include the following foods:
Clean vegetables Fresh fruits Assorted cereals Dairy products Protein In addition, children should also limit or avoid foods that are high in sugar, trans or saturated fats. If older age or an underlying health condition affects bone density and causes your height to decrease, you should increase calcium intake through your daily diet.
Experts recommend that women over 50 and men over 70 consume about 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. Besides, vitamin D also helps significantly promote bone health. Good sources of this vitamin typically include fortified milk, tuna, and egg yolks. If your body isn't getting the right amount of vitamin D in your diet, you should talk to your doctor about taking a supplement to meet the recommended daily amount.

There are only certain cases where supplements are used to increase height in children and combat atrophy in the elderly. For example, if you have a medical condition that affects the production of adult growth hormone (HGH), your doctor may recommend a supplement containing synthetic HGH. In addition, people with advanced age can take vitamin D or calcium supplements to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
In most other cases, you should avoid using supplements that are advertised to increase height after use. Because once your growth plates become fused together you will no longer be able to increase your height no matter what other supplements you use.

Sometimes not getting enough sleep will not affect your height in the long run. But if during adolescence, you regularly slept less than the recommended number of hours, it could lead to unwanted health complications. This is because your body releases growth hormone HGH while you sleep, so not getting enough sleep can lower your hormone levels.
Here is the amount of sleep recommended by health care professionals for a given age:
Newborns up to 3 months: should sleep 14-17 hours a day Infants 3 - 11 months old: should sleep 12-17 hours a day Toddlers 1-2 years old: should sleep 11-14 hours a day Toddlers 3-5 years old: should sleep 10-13 hours a day Children aged 6-13 years: should sleep 9-11 hours per day Teenagers 14-17 years old: should sleep 8-10 hours per day Adults 18-64 years old: should sleep 7-9 hours per day day Adults 65 and older: 7 to 8 hours of sleep is recommended. Extra sleep can even increase HGH production, so you should continue to take naps during the day.

Maintaining regular physical activity can have enormous health benefits for both children and adults. Exercise can help strengthen the muscles and bones in the body, while promoting the production of growth hormone HGH and maintaining a healthy weight.
For children who are growing in height, they should exercise at least one hour a day. Kids can do exercises like push-ups to strengthen their muscles, or yoga, aerobics, cycling, or jumping rope.
For adults, exercise is also essential. Not only does it improve overall health, but it also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, which is often caused by brittle bones and loss of bone density. Physical exercise, such as yoga or playing tennis several times a week, can help prevent certain conditions.

Sitting in the wrong position can make you look shorter than you really are, and it can also affect your height in the long run.
Keeping your back in a constant slump can change the natural curves of your back to help you adjust to your new sitting position. However, this can lead to back and neck pain.
In order not to affect your actual height, you need to pay attention to how you stand, sit and lie down every day. You can improve your posture over time through physical exercises, or work with your doctor to find a remedy that works for you.

Practicing yoga not only helps you to adjust your body balance, but also contributes to strengthening muscles. This also helps your actual height look taller than normal. Some popular yoga poses that you can do include:
Cobra Pose Climbing Pose Warrior Pose II Child Pose Height has a great influence on health as well as aesthetics outside. In addition to genetic factors, parents can build a diet and exercise regimen so that children can develop the best height.
To help children develop the best height, in addition to nutrition and exercise, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, and selenium. B vitamins help to meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, help children eat well, and develop comprehensively.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

Reference source: healthline.com