important information
Every child develops differently from his peers, but what if there is a delay in the child''s development? What are the signs of delayed physical growth in children?
Delayed physical development in children: important information
A child''s delay in physical development may be temporary and normal, or it may mean that there is a problem, so how can you distinguish between normal and abnormal in your child''s development? How can you deal with such cases? Details are in the following:
signs of growth retardation
Here is a list of the most important signs of delayed physical development in children
An annual increase in the child''s height at a rate of less than 5 centimeters per year, especially after the child reaches his third year.
Slow development of the child''s motor skills, especially the following motor skills: standing, sitting from a lying position, rolling over, and walking.
Delayed development of some social and intellectual skills in the child.
Delayed onset of some signs of sexual maturity or development in puberty and adulthood.
Causes of growth retardation
The reason for the delay in physical growth in children is not necessarily the child’s infection with diseases and developmental disorders. Rather, various other factors may also play a role in the delay in the child’s physical development, as follows:
1. Natural differences governed by genes or transient matters
The child may appear to be a little behind his peers in development due to health problems or because of transient issues, as follows:
Structural growth delay: This causes the child to appear younger than the rest of his peers, as his bones grow slowly, making him appear shorter in stature and slimmer, but he catches up with his peers with time.
Familial short stature: A child is born and begins to grow with short stature that accompanies him throughout his life due to his birth to parents with short stature, which is a natural condition.
Other factors: malnutrition, low birth weight, premature birth, and giving the child certain types of medications (especially drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
2. Diseases that lead to growth retardation
A group of different diseases may cause a delay in physical growth in a child, especially the following diseases:
Some chronic diseases that may negatively affect important organs in the body, such as: asthma, anemia, celiac disease, bone diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
Hereditary and genetic diseases, such as: Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Noonan syndrome.
Disorders of the endocrine system, such as: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and delayed puberty.
Diagnosis and treatment of developmental delay
In some cases, growth disorders may be diagnosed from birth, especially when the cause is satisfactory. In other cases, this type of disorder may be discovered and diagnosed with the child’s growth and advancing age. These are some of the tests and steps that may be followed to diagnose a delay in physical growth in children:
Look at the family''s medical history to check for any genetic problems or disorders related to growth.
A physical examination of the baby and see if he has any symptoms or health problems diagnosed after birth.
Periodic visits to the doctor''s office every few months to monitor the pace of the child''s growth.
Subjecting the child to some tests, such as: blood test and x-rays.
After reaching the diagnosis and depending on the cause of the physical developmental delay revealed by the examinations, these are some of the treatment options that may be followed with the affected child:
Treating a chronically ill child to help keep his or her condition under control at all times.
Subjecting the child to a special diet in the event that the reason for the delay in physical growth is that the child has certain problems or diseases in the digestive system, such as: celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
Giving the child nutritional supplements to treat any deficiency in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D and iron supplements.
Subjecting the child to a hormonal treatment program to provide him with additional doses of growth hormone.
The normal pace of growth of a child''s body
This is the normal pace of a child''s growth in his different age stages
1. When the child reaches the age of one year
The baby is expected to gain weight and length, reaching 3 times its birth weight, and then continuing to increase at a rate of 0.7-1 kilogram per month, while its length has increased by 25 centimeters.
2. When the child reaches the age of two years
It is expected that the weight and length of the child will increase so that it will reach 4 times its birth weight, and after that it will continue to increase at a rate of 1.8-2.25 kilograms annually, while its length will have increased by 13 centimeters.
3. When the child reaches the age of 3-4 years
It is expected that the length of the child has become twice its height at birth, with an annual increase in weight at a rate of 1.8-2.25 kilograms, and an increase in length equivalent to approximately 5 centimeters per year, starting from this age until puberty.
4. When the child reaches the age of 9-10 years
As the child approaches puberty, he may start gaining weight in larger quantities and quickly, at a rate of up to 4.5 kilograms in the few years preceding puberty.
