Thousands of parents worried about their children's slow growth took them to the doctor.

A mother in Ho Chi Minh City worried that her son was stunted in height took him to Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital for examination on June 1 - Photo: THUY DUONG

On June 1, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital (HCMC) held a launching ceremony for the program "Screening for slow height growth in children".

Care about children's height development

"Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital has received thousands of cases for examination and screening for slow growth in children. These children are not only in Ho Chi Minh City but also in many other provinces and cities," said Mr. Vo Duc Chien, director of Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, at the ceremony.

According to Mr. Chien, parents are now interested in developing their children's height.

Started in 2017, the height growth screening program has so far screened about 2,400 children for free. The total number of children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency through the program is more than 200.

This year, the program is expected to receive about 300 children for examination with 8 examinations in 4 weeks. In the first week, the number of children received for examination was about 80 children.

According to doctors, growth retardation is a condition that occurs when a child's growth rate does not reach the normal weight and height milestones for each age. Typically, a child with short stature is defined as a child whose height is below -2SD compared to children of the same age, gender, and race.

Factors affecting height are often divided into large groups including: genetics, environmental factors, nutrition, chronic diseases and causes related to endocrine diseases.

In particular, genetic factors cannot be changed. In particular, slow growth due to growth hormone deficiency (in the group of causes related to endocrine diseases).

Only discovered by parents that he was stunted when he reached school age

In Vietnam, it is a fact that children are often only discovered by their parents to have stunted growth when they reach school age. That is, when parents have the opportunity to compare their children's height with that of their peers. Sometimes, a child's stunted growth can also be discovered by chance when the child is examined for another medical condition.

Dr. Tran Thi Ngoc Anh, Department of Endocrinology, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, recommends that parents should closely monitor their child's height. If they see that the growth rate is less than 4cm/year, they should take the child to see a doctor immediately.

If the child's height curve is horizontal or downward and malnutrition has been ruled out, then it is very likely that the child is experiencing slow growth due to growth hormone deficiency.

The treatment outlook for children with growth hormone deficiency depends largely on when treatment is started.

"If a child's slow growth is diagnosed and treated early, the child can completely reach a height close to normal or even develop normally like other children of the same age," said Dr. Ngoc Anh.

Usually, children with slow growth due to growth hormone deficiency can be prescribed growth hormone injections.

This treatment may be continued for several years as the child grows. During treatment, the child will be monitored by a specialist to assess the effectiveness of the growth hormone injections and to adjust the dosage as necessary.

In addition, doctors may also prescribe growth hormone injections for children with growth retardation due to other medical conditions such as small for gestational age, Turner syndrome, and chronic kidney disease.

Children with slow growth do not grow in height or have a slow growth rate.

According to doctors, most children with simple growth retardation have no special external manifestations other than the child not growing or having a slow growth rate.

Children with mild growth hormone deficiency, although not affecting health, have limited height (much lower than average).

Children with severe growth hormone deficiency may have symptoms such as mid-facial hypoplasia (creating a doll-like face), small limbs, small genitals in males...

Some children with growth hormone deficiency may have fat around the abdomen and be chubby despite having normal body proportions. Children with growth hormone deficiency may also feel tired all the time. In addition, some psychological symptoms may also occur in children with growth hormone deficiency such as lack of concentration, poor memory, etc.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-ngan-cha-me-lo-lang-tre-cham-tang-truong-chieu-cao-dua-tre-di-kham-20240601154302541.htm