Archive for the ‘Growth & Development’ Category

Tall Girls, Short Boys, and the Medical Industry’s Quest to Manipulate Height

In full disclosure, I have not yet read this book entirely.  I have found it relevant, readable, and interesting enough so far, though, to mention it here.

The book, according to the author’s website, “is the first detailed account of the way in which tall girls and short kids have been experimented on for decades.”

The authors provide anecdotes, research findings, and a chronology of medical and pharmaceutical interventions beginning in the 1950’s which were intended to stunt or encourage growth in apparently normal, healthy children.   The problem they were trying to cure in these kids: being taller or shorter than social convention dictated for a child’s gender.

From parental hopes to drug company marketing techniques,  medical ethics to child self-esteem, this book covers the gamut of issues and emotions surrounding height control.  It’s a very interesting read.

Here are some resources about the book and a related article that you might also find helpful:

• Normal at Any Cost, on Amazon
• Susan Cohen, co-Author’s website
• New York Time Book Review
• Article Abstract:  Venn A, Bruinsma F, Werther G, et al. Oestrogen treatment to reduce the adult height of tall girls: long-term effects on fertility. Lancet 2004;364:1513-8.

Happy new year, everyone.  It’s the time of year to be thinking about the future.  Given the nature of this website, I thought it would be interesting to look at how tall your children are likely to become as adults.

A quick survey of the internet shows that this is not an exact science.  But, there are different tools and “best-guess” mathematical formulas you can use to predict your child’s adult height.

Dr. Jay L. Hoecker, M.D of the Mayo Clinic* says that there are two simple formulas that parents can use to estimate adult height:

Formula # 1:

• Add the mother’s height and the father’s height in inches.
• Add 5 inches for boys or subtract 5 inches for girls.
• Divide by two.

Note: Most children will reach an adult height that is within 4 inches of the number you find.

Formula #2:

• Take your child’s height at age 2.
• Multiply by 2.

Note: This formula is considered to be less accurate than the first.

If you are looking for a adult height prediction calculator, WebMD offers a Kid’s Height Predictor and BabyCenter.com offers a Child Height Predictor, both of which are based on Formula #1 above.

The University of Saskatchewan** published an article a few years ago that uses a different formula to predict a child’s adult height, apparently with greater accuracy.  They use a child’s gender, date of birth, date of measurement (also shown as “date of test”), height, sitting height and weight to calculate the height.  Their website offers a calculator, as well, but you can only use the calculator if your child is between the ages of 8 and 16.

IMPORTANT:  Keep in mind that children’s growth patterns and heights over time will vary.  Given that, the answer you come up with will not be very accurate and should only be used as a very rough estimate.  If you have concerns about your child’s growth, be sure to talk to your Pediatrician.

Sources:

*”What’s the best way to predict a child’s adult height?” by Jay L. Hoecker, M.D., Mayo Clinic.

**Sherar, L.B., Mirwald, R.L., Baxter-Jones, A.D.G., Thomas, M. 2005. Prediction of adult height using maturity based cumulative height velocity curves. Journal of Pediatrics. 14:508-514

So, what do you do when your little girl walks out of room dressed in purple tights, sandals, a yellow polka dot skirt, and a paint-stained t-shirt that is on backwards?

Do you:

1. Ask her to change?
2. Let it go this time, but lay her clothing out for her yourself from now on?
3. Support her unique fashion sense and ability to dress herself?

Between the ages of 3 and 4, kids begin choosing their own clothes and dressing themselves…and their clothing choices will reflect a style all their own, possibly one that makes you laugh or even frustrates you occasionally.  No matter what, congratulate your child on their ability to dress themselves.  Don’t worry: their sense of style will evolve over time.

In the meantime, try these ideas for encouraging their growing sense of self:

• Look for clothing that your children can put on by themselves. In a previous post, I provided an age-by-age guide for helping your toddler dress themselves with recommendations for clothing that supports your child’s developing motor skills.
• Make sure that clothing is easily accessible to your child, such as in the lowest drawer of a dresser.
• Stock your child’s drawers with clothing that is clean, the correct size, easy for them to put on, and appropriate for the season.
• Involve your child in shopping for their clothing – they are  likely to want to wear things that they picked out themselves.
• If you are concerned about their color coordination, make sure your child’s clothing is in similar or complementary colors so that their outfits are less likely to clash.

Getting dressed by themselves is a big deal for kids, and by being supportive – rather than critical, you are encouraging them to keep trying and to be themselves.

For more information on toddler development milestones, visit:

• The Mayo Clinic’s Child development chart: Preschool milestones
• KidsGrowth Toddler Developmental Milestones: What to Expect….. and when to be concerned!

A new study says that parents have difficulty with the data

Over the last couple of months, I have written a handful of posts that discuss children’s growth charts. According to an article in the medical journal Pediatrics (read full text here) that was released last week, understanding these charts is a challenge for most parents.

The study, which surveyed 1000 parents, assessed how well parents know about and understand children’s growth charts and whether they think they are helpful in tracking their children’s development. What they found was that many parents are familiar with growth charts that they see during their child’s visit to the doctor, but cannot understand the data.

When asked, 53% parents were able to identify all of the key features of a growth chart (age, weight, and percentile), but only one-third of parents also knew the definition of percentile. Percentiles are measurements that show how a child compares to children of their same age and gender.

Despite the fact that the charts themselves are not well-understood, parents do want a way to help them understand how their child is growing. The study found that 64% of parents thought it was important to be shown growth charts by a health care provider, and 31% reported plotting their children’s measurements on CDC-type growth charts at home.

Growth charts were originally developed to help health care providers track children’s growth and identify potential health problem. Recently, however, health organizations throughout the world, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), have increasingly encouraged parents to become more aware of their children’s growth.

For parents to do this well, though, they need to be able to take and track their child’s measurements, monitor growth patterns, and understand how growth charts work.

To better understand some of these issues, please refer to the following sources:

SizeTracker Blog growth chart series

SizeTracker Growth Chart tool

Kids Health

In this final article in the Child Growth Chart series, I talk about ways that you can track your child’s growth yourself.

Every visit to your child’s doctor involves taking height and weight measurements. These measurements are used to plot a child’s growth over time and see where they fall relative to other children of their same age and gender and to make sure that they are growing as expected.

What to Track

The easiest way to track your child’s growth is simply to record the date that your doctor takes your child’s measurements and what those measurements are. A simple notebook or sheet of paper is all you need. I’ve attached a Growth_Chart_Tracking_Sheet (PFD) that you can download and use to track these measurements easily.

If you prefer to take measurements yourself, here are some tips for doing so:

How to take measurements

For children aged 0 to 3 years, you typically measure a child’s weight, length measured with your child lying down, and head circumference.

Once a child can solidly stand on their own – typically after 24 months, you can use standing height and weight.

For tips on taking measurements yourself, see: Measuring Your Child’s Growth at Home.

Keep in mind that certain things may cause your child’s weight to seem higher or lower than it should. Be consistent in when and how you measure your child each time, and, whenever possible, make sure that you measure them:

• at a similar time of day, such as 1 hour before mealtime;
• while they are wearing similar clothing – close-fitting and light-weight are recommended; and,
• when their health is normal (for them).

How often to measure

Health experts recommend that children be weighed and measured:

• Within the first two weeks of being born.
• Up to once a month during the first six months of life while your baby is growing quickly – your child’s health care provider will typically take measurements at one, two, four, and six month well-baby check-ups.
• No more than every three months between 9 months and 2 years – your child’s health care provider will typically take measurements at the nine, 12, 18 and 24 month check-ups.
• Yearly up to age six, and then every two years up to age 18 is sufficient.

Measuring your child more often than this is not necessary, unless your child’s growth pattern seems unusual or your health care provider has recommended more-frequent health monitoring. It is best to speak with your child’s doctor if you have any concerns about their growth and development.