SHORT CHILD

The normal height of children is detailed in the chapter on NORMAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 

CAUSES: If the height of a child is less than expected, the following are the more likely causes:

• Small size of parents
• Small size at birth
• Chronic infections
• Bronchial asthma and congenital heart disease (CHD).

Small Size Of Parents
A child may take after his mother or father who is short. The child may have a sudden increase in height as he enters his teens.


Small Size At Birth 
Children with low birth weight and length are likely to remain small, even if they are born at the expected time (small for date babies).


Chronic Infections
Undiagnosed and untreated chronic infections like a urinary infection can be responsible for poor gain in weight and height.


Bronchial Asthma And Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
Severe bronchial asthma as well as CHD can cause shortness of stature.


Less Common Causes
Hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency, though uncommon, must be diagnosed and treated promptly. Certain chromosomal disorders and hereditary disorders affecting the skeleton can also result in stunted growth.

TREATMENT: Besides treatment of an obvious cause for shortness, there are no specific measures to increase height. 

Swimming and exercise are desirable, but one should not expect that the child’s height will increase by such methods. The same is true for a healthy diet. Of course, if a child has been ill fed from an early age, his height and weight will have been affected. But pushing the child to eat more does not help.

Vitamins and iron, unless indicated for specific reasons, are not helpful in increasing height. 

Similarly, drugs to stimulate appetite like cyproheptadine and anabolic steroids are of no use and can, in fact, be harmful. A growth hormone is sometimes given, if indicated, under the close supervision of a paediatrician or an endocrinologist.

11 February, 2013