When the "devil boy" transforms and reshapes: looking at children's growth and development and rare diseases from "Nezha"

At the beginning of this year, a Chinese cartoon film swept the country. When Nezha rode on the wind-fire wheels and sped across the screen, this "demon boy" who was less than four feet tall entered the public's field of vision with a subversive image. When he broke free from the shackles of the Qiankun Circle and completed his transformation in the flames , the young audiences in the theater always cheered in amazement.

At the "three-year-old birthday party" set in the movie, we see not only the growth trajectory of a mythical character, but also the fact that society pays special attention to the growth and development of children. From the perspective of Nezha's growth epic, it is like a youth revelation full of life codes.

Back to reality, those "little Nezha" (Turner syndrome) who are hovering at the end of the height curve, and those children with albinism who are called "moon children", their life stories are also worth seeing, paying attention to, and caring about.

1. The misunderstood "demon boy":

The scientific code of children's growth

The Hunyuan Pearl in Nezha's body is like a miniature universe of the human endocrine system. When the two "spiritual energies of heaven and earth" of growth hormone and sex hormone begin to intersect, the bodies of teenagers begin a magical transformation journey. The anterior pituitary gland is like Taiyi Zhenren's alchemy furnace, secreting 0.5-3.7mg of growth hormone every day, quietly reshaping bones during deep sleep. Thyroid hormone is like the spiritual power of driving a wind and fire wheel, increasing the basal metabolic rate by 12-15%, so that teenagers always have endless energy.

Common cognitive misunderstandings among contemporary parents are like the prejudice of the people of Chentangguan against Nezha. The popular saying of "23 leaps and one jump" has been proven to be pseudoscience, and the height increase after epiphyseal closure is like a myth. And those height-increasing health products that are snapped up are more like the modern version of "Taiyi Jindan". Blindly taking them may lead to serious consequences such as precocious puberty.

2. The Cursed “Spirit Pearl”:

Survival revelation of children with rare diseases

Among the "undersea purgatory" of more than 7,000 rare diseases in the world, 80% of the diseases are related to genetic defects. Just like the "heavenly curse" endured by Nezha, these children carry the disordered instructions of the life code from birth. The height stagnation of patients with mucopolysaccharidosis , the "glass bones" of osteogenesis imperfecta , and the growth hormone deficiency of pituitary dwarfs are all rewriting the growth script of life.

The "Wanlong Armor" of medical progress is reshaping the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. Gene editing technology, like Taiyi Zhenren's map of mountains, rivers, and states, has opened the door to cure diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy; enzyme replacement therapy has helped children with Gaucher disease get rid of the "gigantic abdomen" problem; and growth hormone therapy has helped patients with pituitary dwarfism regain normal height.

The socially supported "Hun Tian Ling" needs more forces to gather. Organizations such as the Growth Angel Fund of the China Red Cross Foundation are building a rescue network, and the rare disease diagnosis and treatment cooperation network established by the National Health Commission covers 324 hospitals across the country. These efforts are like Ao Bing's Wanlong Armor, weaving a network of hope for families with rare diseases.

3. Reshape the “Lotus Body” of Life:

Modern medicine's solution

In the "metaphysics" of height management, scientific monitoring is the first rule. Bone age testing is like Taiyi Zhenren's Qiankun Circle, which can accurately assess growth potential. Standardized growth curve tracking can detect abnormal growth and development signals like Nezha's clairvoyance. When a child's height is lower than the 3rd percentile of the same age, gender, and race, it is a wake-up call for medical treatment.

The diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases requires a multidisciplinary collaborative "SHIELD". From genetic testing to rehabilitation treatment, from nutritional support to psychological intervention, modern medicine is building a full-cycle care system. The rare disease MDT model established by Xiangya Hospital of Central South University is like a heavenly tribulation array of the combined efforts of immortals, building a life defense line for patients.

The "mountain, river, and state map" at the policy level is unfolding. The new version of the 2023 medical insurance catalogue adds 15 new drugs for rare diseases, and the prices of some high-priced drugs have dropped by more than 90% after negotiation. These measures are like the lotus incarnation bestowed by Yuanshi Tianzun, reshaping the life trajectory of 20 million rare disease patients in China.

From myth to reality, from prejudice to understanding, modern medicine is rewriting the script of life growth. When we take off the colored glasses of "magic children", we will see the unique growth code of each life. Those children who grow stubbornly at the end of the growth curve, and those families who bravely fight against genetic defects, are all performing the real version of "my destiny is in my own hands"!

This may be the most profound revelation that the Nezha legend gives to contemporary society: in the soil of understanding and tolerance, every life can bloom with its own brilliance.

Source: Children's Medical Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University

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(Edited by Wx)