The Child Growth Association of the Republic of China yesterday said parents should take their children to see a doctor if they grow less than 4cm in a year, which can be a sign of developmental delay.
Association chairman Lo Fu-Sung (羅福松) said a school health exam is conducted at the beginning of each semester for elementary and junior-high school students to screen for possible developmental delay.
Families of children whose height does not reach a growth standard for their age are given a developmental delay referral sheet, with a check-up recommended.
The association said a 12-year-old girl, who was only 0.98m tall when she began elementary school, was always shorter than her classmates.
She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome when her parents took her to hospital for a thorough examination, it said, adding that after five years of growth hormone therapy, the girl has now grown to 1.36m.
According to clinical observation of 655 children who were referred by their schools for further examination, many of the cases were due to either Turner syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, thyroid deficiency or sexual precocity, with about 13 percent able to be treated.
Lo said that nutrition as an infant, hormonal conditions, puberty and genetic inheritance are the factors that mainly determine a child’s height, while problems are usually detected at age eight to 10 in girls and before age 12 in boys.
Lo said treatment at an earlier age can have better results.
Lo added that children should have a regular daily schedule and get sufficient sleep — at least eight hours per day — eat a balanced diet containing six classes of essential nutrients and avoid food high in sugars and calories, while getting sufficient exercise based on the “three-three-three” principle — three times a week, at least 30 minutes per session, and a heartrate of at least 130 beats per minute.
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