Is Your Child Growing Normally Like Other Children?

Do you remember being one of the shortest children in class during the schooling days? It was not exactly a pleasant feeling to be labeled as the short one in class and given "Shorty" as a nickname back then, was it? The fact that I had been in that situation before, it concerns me a lot whether my son is growing healthily as his height progress seems to be rather on the slower side compared to many of his peers of the same age. Not to mention, schoolyard can be a harsh place for children, especially for boys, who are shorter than their peers as they are often being targeted of teasing and bullying. Moreover, once my child has become more self-conscious about his appearance, I have grown anxious that his current stature may affect his self-esteem, especially if random people make impudent comments or other children in his cohort single him out based on significant physical differences. Picture Credit: Freepik Also, since my son aspires to become a pilot or astronaut when he grows up, I really hope he can grow taller so that his physical stature will not hinder him to achieve his big ambitions! IS YOUR CHILD GROWING PROPERLY? Did you know that a child's birth size does not determine his final height or weight? Children grow rapidly from 1 year to 4 years old at an average rate as high as 4 inches per year. After that, their height will increase by 2 to 2 1/2 inches per year – until a final growth spurt kicks in during puberty. Picture Credit: Freepik However, according to findings of NHMS 2019, 2 out of 10 Malaysian children below the age of 5 are stunted. When a child fails to measure up to his peers, parents typically attribute it to genetic factors. While it is true that genetics do play a major part in determining a child's height and children grow at different rates, an unusual jump in height or a sudden fall-off in growth may signal a health or hormones issue. As such, if you reckon your child may not be growing at an expected rate, you should talk to his pediatrician. WHAT IS THE NORMAL HEIGHT FOR A CHILD? Photo Credit: Freepik Child growth is measured by the height chart set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is generally accepted as the worldwide standard. Healthy normal growth in children is considered as falling above the 3rd percentile of the chart – anything below that is considered slow. Following are the height-for-age charts for each gender for your reference. Chart images are taken from Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA)'s website. ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD'S OPTIMAL GROWTH Research shows that an individual's growth is determined by 80% nutrition & 20% genetics; and there are some practical ways that parents can apply on a daily basis to help their little dream chasers achieve their tallest potentials. 1. Do height-boosting exercises Picture Credit Freepik Doing exercises may not guarantee your child's height to shoot up remarkably, but few exercises that elongate and lengthen the bones, such as stretching, vertical hanging, basketball, yoga, skipping, and swimming may do wonders in aiding the growth of your child. These exercises are generally great for children of all ages, but it is recommended to let your child do these exercises before puberty hits since boys usually complete their growth by the time they are 16 years old and girls reach their adult height when they are around 14–15 years old. 2. Create healthy bedtime routines Sleep promotes your child's growth and development. Growth hormone is normally released during sleep. For that reason, if your child does not get enough restful sleep, his growth hormones will be suppressed and other health problems will follow suit. 3. Bask in the sun's rays Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D, which is important for your child's strong muscles and bones' growth – thus, helps in increasing your child’s height. 4. Stand up straight, sit up straight! Poor postures such as slouching and slumping, as well as spending excessive time in front of the screen and over-using hand-held gadgets put unnecessary stress on the spine. These bad habits may shorten your child’s spines and cause other negative effects on his body, which will compromise his growth later on. This being said, having a good posture is truly fundamental for your child's development and overall health. 5. Eat nutrition-dense foods Getting enough proper nutrition is essential for your growing child's healthy development. Make sure your child's diet is loaded up with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods that are not only vital to keep him healthy, but also could aid him grow taller. 6. Drink milk! Picture Credit: Freepik Milk contains valuable nutrients that support your child's growing body. It is often considered as an essential component of a healthy, well-rounded diet for children because it provides energy and a whole range of health benefits, such as calcium and protein that can help your child grow healthier and stronger. HIGH AMBITIONS ARE WITHIN REACH WITH DUTCH LADY MAXGRO DUTCH LADY MaxGro is a milk-based formula dietary food for children between the age of 1–9 years old. Packed with nutrients and specially formulated to provide children with 80% of their daily recommended nutrient intake* for a well-balanced and complete diet, it is the suitable formula milk to support your child's growth. 4 main reasons of why you should give your child DUTCH LADY MaxGro: It provides 80% of daily recommended nutrient intake* It contains 9 Essential Amino Acids (9EAA), the building blocks in protein It is added with DHA It is high in calcium and Vitamin D Not only DUTCH LADY MaxGro tastes yummy, it is high in# the number of growth nutrients that will add an extra boost of nutrients for your children's immune system and bone health. Additionally, it provides good value and is convenient for parents who have more than one child at home. You can now save more money from buying various milk brands for your kids and just buy the same pack of milk powder for your growing children since this milk is suitable for children from age 1 to 9! I choose DUTCH LADY MaxGro for my children. What about you, mummies? Give your child the best start to turn your child's big ambitions into reality! Try DUTCH LADY MaxGro and request a free sample today! Download DUTCH LADY MaxGro's growth tracking app from Google Play to easily and conveniently track your child's: Physical growth Cognitive growth Immunisation schedule Teething log Finally, do not forget to visit DUTCH LADY MaxGro's official website for more information and follow their Facebook page for more interesting updates and promotions! References: Harris, N. (2019, August 06). The Bullying Statistics Parents Need to Know. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.parents.com/kids/problems/bullying/the-bullying-statistics-parents-need-to-know/ Iannelli, V. (2020, December 18). How Can You Predict a Short Child's Growth? Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-short-child-2633629 Carter, M. (2019, December 26). A Guide to Predicting Height for Kids Ages 3 to 10. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.parents.com/kids/development/physical/growth-spurts-an-age-by-age-guide-to-predicting-height/ Ministry of Health Malaysia (2019).Non-Communicable Diseases: Risk Factors and Other Health Problems, Vol. 1, Rep. National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. DOI: MOH/S/IKU/144.20(TR)-e World Health Organization (2015, November 19). Stunting in a nutshell. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news/item/19-11-2015-stunting-in-a-nutshell The Star (2020, December 15). When Your Child Is Not Growing Well. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://mpaeds.my/when-your-child-is-not-growing-well/ Jelenkovic, A. et al. Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts. Sci. Rep. 6, 28496; doi: 10. 1038/srep28496 (2016) Brusie, C. (2019, March 08). What You Need to Know About Growth in Boys. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-boys-stop-growing Marcin, A. (2019, March 13). When Do Girls Stop Growing? Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-girls-stop-growing Dowshen, S. (Ed.). (2017, January). Can Lack of Sleep Stunt Your Growth? (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/sleep-growth.html The Healhline Editorial Team (2020, April 07). 3 Surprising Benefits of Vitamin D. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d Link, R. (2020, March 09). Here Are 11 Foods That Make You Taller. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-that-make-you-taller Ware, M. (2020, March 16). Milk: Health benefits and nutrition. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273451 Children's Health (n.d.). What is the best milk for children? Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/what-is-the-best-milk-for-children Kubala, J. (2018, June 12). Essential Amino Acids: Definition, Benefits and Food Sources. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/essential-amino-acids #High in nutrients: High Protein, Calcium, Iron Magnesium, Vitamin A, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B 12m and C Content. *80% of daily nutrients: Meeting at least 80% of Malaysia Recommended Daily Nutrient Intake (Malaysia RNI 2017) for selected nutrients, such as Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin A, D3, E, K1, B1, B2, B3, B6, B 12, and C.

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