Individual growth and development timings vary, even during the growth period, there is a difference between early and late, this difference is closely related to dietary habits and psychological state. Among them, children with delayed development often face the problem of being short in stature, and some may also have challenges in cognitive abilities. Over time, these children may bear increasing psychological burdens. So, how should we deal with the situation of children growing slowly?
One situation is growth retardation caused by hypothyroidism, in addition to slow height growth, these children may also experience symptoms such as disproportionate limbs, delayed tooth development, and limited intellectual development. After entering puberty, they may also have hoarse voice, speak less, facial swelling, neck lumps, sparse hair, dry skin, slow heartbeat, weight gain, and easy fatigue. When these signs appear, diagnosis can be confirmed through thyroid function tests.
Another situation is pituitary dwarfism, where children may have a normal body size at birth, but growth slows significantly after a few months, and the gap with other children becomes more noticeable with age. Their physical growth is extremely slow, with a relatively symmetrical body shape, and their adult height usually does not exceed 130 cm. Their intelligence level is normal, but they may have underdeveloped sex glands and lack secondary sexual characteristics.
Growth delay is one of the more common problems in children, affecting aspects such as motor skills, language expression, and body height, showing clear delays or abnormal development sequences compared to peers, which severely impacts a child’s daily life and learning, and may even lead to lifelong regret. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for children with growth delays are particularly important.
A child’s delayed growth may have long-term consequences for their entire life, and parents must pay close attention to this. Once it is noticed that their child is significantly lagging behind in growth compared to peers, they should promptly seek medical attention and undergo relevant examinations. Medical experts emphasize that only by identifying the cause of the delay, can targeted measures be taken to effectively help children make up for their growth deficiencies.
