Question
If a child’s height is less than two standard deviations below the average height for their age, how should we address this?
Answer
Child short stature refers to a situation where a child’s height is less than two standard deviations below the average height for their age. If it falls below this threshold, consider the child to have short stature. However, it’s also important to observe the child’s growth rate. If the growth rate has been good recently, it might be due to temporary factors such as malnutrition, illness, or other issues that have affected growth. If the growth rate is slow, it’s necessary to identify the specific cause. Common reasons include dysfunction in other organs, endocrine abnormalities, with the most common being abnormal nutritional status in children, as well as issues with kidney function, liver function, and growth hormone deficiency. Depending on the underlying cause, different solutions need to be adopted.