Growth and Physical Development – a Message for Parents
Growth in height is an essential component of
childhood development. Height is to some extent determined by genes
inherited from both parents, but it is also a reflexion of the
general health of the child. Any concern about growth is best
discussed with a paediatric endocrinology specialist. Endocrinology
is the study of glands and hormones and most children with abnormal
growth do not have specific hormone deficiencies, so explanation
and reassurance are often all that is needed. If a lack of hormones
is diagnosed, simple and safe treatment to replace the missing
hormone is almost always available.
There is no need for a parent to worry about
the growth of their child for a period of time, hoping that he or
she will ‘just shoot up’. It is much better to seek early advice.
Detailed and painful tests are usually not necessary and an
experienced specialist in growth and endocrinology will usually be
able to make a diagnosis and give an explanation of the problem,
together with a prediction of the likely future growth pattern.
A common time for parents to worry is around
the age of puberty development. There may be concern that puberty
could be starting either too early or may be beginning too late.
Specialist advice is also helpful in this context. The puberty
growth spurt is itself a component of puberty and if puberty occurs
either early or late, the growth spurt itself will be advanced or
delayed. It is often reassuring for a family when a specialist
looks into the reasons for a child’s pattern of development and
explains the pattern of normal puberty development so that the
development of their child or teenager can be put into the context
of his or her peers.
Martin O Savage MA MD
FRCPCH
Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology