Master the scientific method of growing taller, and you can always go the high speed!

Hello everyone, today is June 1st, a festival for children. I wish all children a happy Children's Day! June is the hot season of midsummer, with green trees and blooming flowers. Everything is thriving, just like the children who are in the growth stage. Flowers will bloom, trees will grow taller, and children will also continue to grow taller. This is also the most concerned issue for countless parents. So today we will talk about the issue of children's height growth.

Parents always have high hopes for their children, especially when children of the same age grow taller and stronger than their own children, they become even more worried and anxious. Is it because their children grow slower? So what is the standard for height increase?

First of all, as parents, we should understand that children have two growth peaks, one is infancy and the other is adolescence. At birth, the average height of a baby is 50cm. The fastest growth is in the first year after birth, which can grow 25cm a year. After that, the growth rate slows down. Secondly, let's understand how to estimate the height of children at each stage, so that we don't have to use other people's children as a reference standard. Here are some formulas that can be used, parents quickly write them down!

When children are between one and six years old, multiply their age by 7 and add 75. For example, a five-year-old child should be 5 times 7 plus 75, which is 110 cm tall. From seven to 12 years old, multiply their age by 6 and add 80. For example, an 11-year-old child should be 148 cm tall. After the age of 12, children enter puberty, and height changes during puberty are relatively large. Usually, they can grow 7 to 12 cm in one year, which varies from person to person. Finally, I want to tell you a key point that you usually don’t pay attention to, that is, as parents, we should dynamically detect changes in children’s height and weight, rather than using height and weight at a certain point in time as a standard for evaluating children’s growth and development. Therefore, you can find a wall at home, measure it once a month, and record the time and numerical changes. As a table that can record dynamic longitudinal observations, it can more truly reflect the growth of children.

Children's height growth is actually the result of bone development. Our bones are composed of bone cells, which have various shapes and become the support frame of our human body. Just like how high a house can be built depends on how high the cement frame is, the same is true for the body. How tall a child can grow depends on how long the bones can grow. Bones have periosteum outside and bone marrow inside. They are rich in blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves. They can continuously metabolize and grow and develop, and have the ability to repair, grow and reshape. In other words, even if our bones are broken, they can be reconnected after the broken ends are anastomosed. Bone tissue not only serves as a large scaffold for our human body, but also a storage depot for calcium and phosphorus, which can regulate the body's calcium and phosphorus metabolism.

An average adult has 206 bones, which can be divided into long bones, short bones, flat bones and irregular bones according to their shapes. Among them, long bones are long tubular, and the bones of our limbs belong to long bones. Long bones can be divided into two ends, the body is the shaft, and the end is the epiphysis. There is a piece of cartilage between the shaft and the epiphysis, which is the key to our growth. Because the epiphyseal cartilage cells continue to proliferate, divide and ossify, the bones can continue to grow. In adulthood, after the epiphyseal cartilage ossifies, the shaft and epiphysis are integrated. At this time, a line will be left on the bone, which is called the epiphyseal line. This is also one of the criteria for doctors to judge whether a person can grow taller. In addition, taking X-rays to determine bone age is also an important diagnostic criterion.

Now that we know the height growth standards and principles, let's learn about what affects height growth! This is also the most concerned issue for many parents. First of all, we need to make it clear that the genes of parents play a decisive role in the height of children. If both parents are not tall, the height of the child will not change greatly. Generally, the heights of members of a family are relatively close. Secondly, although innate factors cannot be changed, acquired help is also indispensable. Factors that affect height include sleep, diet, emotions, and exercise.

Finally, I’ll tell you the correct way to grow taller, let’s learn it quickly!

The first thing is to sleep well, because growth hormone will be secreted in large quantities at night, which can help the body develop. It is best for children to go to bed at nine o'clock, so that a good endocrine rhythm can be formed.

The second is to eat delicious food. Children are in a stage of continuous growth and development, and they should not be picky eaters. A balanced diet is a commonplace topic, but it is rare to find children who are not picky eaters. In fact, you can pay attention to the methods when adding complementary foods during infancy, such as adding only one ingredient at a time, cooking the same ingredient in different ways, and finding the cooking method that the child likes, and avoid adding various seasonings too early. In terms of diet, the guidance of parents is also very important. If parents enjoy the meal with relish, the children will also be immersed in the atmosphere of enjoying the food.

Third, let’s talk about exercise. Proper exercise helps bone development and muscle growth, and can also promote the secretion of growth hormone. Do more jumping exercises, such as skipping rope, playing basketball, swimming, etc. As long as the children like, they can exercise for an hour every day. Outdoor exercise can also increase the time children spend in the sun, which helps the synthesis of vitamin D.

Fourth, emotions. Children with long-term depression will have reduced hormone secretion, which will affect their growth and development. Therefore, the ancient Chinese saying "Seven Things Not to Blame When Educating Children" is very reasonable, and fully considers the impact of children's emotions on their bodies.

References:

[1] Pediatrics, edited by Wang Weiping et al. [M] People’s Medical Publishing House, 2018

[2] Wang Zihuan, Yang Qi, Wang Fuman, et al. Investigation of height growth status and analysis of influencing factors of preschool children in nine cities[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care, 2015, 23(002):141-143.

[3] Zha Shuwei, Liu Qilan. Benchmark values ​​and comparative analysis of physical growth monitoring of Chinese children[J]. Chinese Medical Guide, 2012, 000(029):401-404.

[4] Gao Shanshan, Yu Jun, Jin Ting. The impact of behavior change theory on children's growth and nutritional status[J]. Chinese Journal of Maternal and Child Health, 2020, v.35(17):94-96.

[5] Wang Lulu, Xu Peipei, Xu Juan, et al. A review of growth and development evaluation indicators for school-age children aged 6 to 18 years old[J]. Chinese Journal of School Health, 2019, 040(004):627-631.