Heredity and child growth: key factors and patterns

shutterstock.com

It is a widespread opinion that a child's height depends on how tall their ancestors were.

However, it is more accurate to view heredity as a kind of general program, according to which one individual inherits the potential to grow, say, no shorter than 160 centimeters and no taller than 180 centimeters, another — 150–185 centimeters, and so on. Specific growth figures are largely determined by environmental conditions and health (proper nutrition, climate, etc.).

The body grows only if its cells, tissues, and organs are influenced by the appropriate growth-related hormones. They are produced in at least four glands: the pituitary (somatotropin), the pancreas (insulin), the gonads (testosterone), and the thyroid. A malfunction in any of these can lead to growth pathology. If there are too many hormones, uncontrolled growth occurs; if hormone production stops, growth ceases.

Additionally, growth depends on the work of the hypothalamus — the highest center of vegetative regulation. By receiving and processing information from the surrounding world and the body's internal environment, the nervous system gives commands to the hypothalamus. In turn, by controlling hormone production, it influences vegetative functions, including growth processes. This is why various disturbances in the nervous system, disrupting its work, negatively affect growth.

The fastest growth is observed in the first months after a child is born. In the first six months, the baby grows by about 2–4 centimeters per month. Interestingly, this does not happen gradually (as commonly imagined), but, as scientists' research shows, in "spurts". Scientists have noted a curious feature: children who maintain constant growth for several weeks sometimes grow by a centimeter overnight. Amazingly, in just 24 hours, a child's height could increase by a centimeter.

Pediatrician Vladimir Kovalenko, MD, notes:

“It is not short stature that is passed down from generation to generation, but the functional weakness of the organs responsible for growth. Thus, specific disorders can be identified and addressed. The maximum effect is achieved if the issue is addressed before puberty.”

1. Firstly, the child must actively engage in physical exercise, as motor activity is the most effective means for the hormonal system and improving metabolism.
2. Secondly, contrasting procedures — rubdowns, douches, showers — are desirable.
3. Thirdly, it is necessary to ensure that the child receives a balanced diet.

In addition, there are many special techniques from acupressure to meditation, which can be found in specialized literature.

pixabay.com

We would also like to touch on some psychological issues that may arise in short children.

Children start paying special attention to their appearance around 13–15 years old. At this time, most boys experience a sharp increase in height (about 10–14 centimeters over two years). However, some children grow more slowly or stop growing altogether, leading to serious concerns and the development of inferiority complexes.

Psychologists point out the following most typical mistakes parents make when dealing with short children:

• Ignoring the child's worries about their short stature. This can lead to their alienation. Even worse, if the child's short stature becomes a target for parental humor. It is important to understand: what may seem insignificant and even funny to an adult can be perceived very differently by the child.
• Exaggerated concern by parents that their child is "not growing". Sometimes this leads to them being "treated" with trendy hormonal drugs, which can cause serious harm to the child's body.

Parents! Don't panic! One person can grow by 10 centimeters in a year, another may need 5 years for this. If the child is developing normally, they might catch up with and surpass their peers.

Family outdoor photo created by prostooleh - www.freepik.com

And one more myth. Sometimes it is recommended to eat large amounts of meat and meat products, arguing that proteins contain many substances necessary for growth. Indeed, animal proteins contain many important growth substances, but it turns out that the amount of protein in the diet of those who want to grow should be relatively low. Foods high in protein are difficult to digest and absorb. In small doses, they have a positive effect; in large doses, a negative one. Nutrition experts believe that the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the daily diet should be as follows: for younger children — 1:1:3; for older children — 1:1:4.

What should be more in the diet of short children is copper. Specialists from the Institute of Nutrition Hygiene of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, having studied the diet of more than three thousand schoolchildren in different regions of Ukraine, found that children's height is directly related to the copper content in their diet. It turned out that children above average height consumed enough copper, while shorter children consumed much less than the norm. Copper plays an important role in the metabolism occurring in connective (skin, cartilage, and bone) tissues. Scientists concluded that its deficiency in the cells from which cartilage and bone tissues develop reduces the activity of enzyme systems and slows down protein metabolism. This leads to both a slowdown and disruption of bone tissue growth.

Main food sources of copper: peas, vegetables and fruits, beef, bakery products, fish, liver, nuts, egg yolk, milk.

shutterstock.com

And one more piece of advice for parents who want their future child to be tall. Try to have the child born in spring. According to Australian medical research, "spring" boys are on average 0.6 centimeters taller than "autumn" ones. For other seasons, such a dependence is not observed.

In this case, the determining factor is apparently the influence of the active spring sun on the pineal gland, which produces the hormone melatonin. It is associated with many major physiological functions of the human body: sleep, hunger, sexual desire, mood, and, as many believe, growth. The pineal gland is especially active during the three months before and three months after birth, when the growth process is most intense.

Similar results were obtained by Danish researchers, who found a relationship between the birth month and the length of the newborn. Data from the Danish National Birth Register included information on gestational age, length, and birth weight of 1,166,206 children born between 1973 and 1994. Children born in April were on average 2.2 centimeters longer than those born in December. Scientists believe this can partly be explained by differences in the time the fetus spends in the womb. The gestational age of children born in winter was 1 day shorter than those born at other times of the year. It was noted that fluctuations in the average length of newborns have a sinusoidal pattern with a period of 6 months. Peaks were observed in spring and autumn, which partially aligns with the findings of Australian scientists.