Question
Parents are concerned about their child’s slow growth rate and hope to receive professional advice.
Answer
A child’s slow growth may be related to dietary factors. Certain eating habits can affect calcium absorption, such as carbonated drinks containing more phosphorus, which can interfere with calcium absorption; and sodium citrate may accelerate calcium metabolism. Moreover, some vegetables like spinach and amaranth contain more plant acids, which may also affect calcium absorption. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks and blanch the aforementioned vegetables with boiling water before feeding them to children. At the same time, smoking, alcohol, and spicy and irritating foods such as scallions, garlic, chives, ginger, Sichuan pepper, chili, and cassia should be avoided.