Short stature

"A child has short stature (his/her length is small for the age of up to 2 years) if the values of his/her length/height are below -2 SD relative to the average values for healthy children of the same age and sex."

Parents are very interested to know if their child's height is appropriate for the age.

If your child seems to be shorter than his/her peers, you will measure him/her yourself more often and, of course, consult a pediatrician.

As part of regular preventive examinations in the pediatric clinic, all children's body length/height is measured and entered in the growth chart, which clearly shows how the child's measured value compares to the values for healthy children of the same age and sex.
In our country, growth charts (graphs) are used; they represent the growth standards set on the basis of research within the World Health Organization.

When is a child short for age?.

For children under the age of 2, body length is measured in a lying position, and from the age of two, their body height is measured in a standing position.
The boundary between normal and short stature is not sharp because it is based on an arbitrarily set criterion.
A child whose body length/height is 2 SD below the average for healthy children of the same age and sex has short stature by these standards.
If the child's body height is in the range between -2 and -3 SD, the child is considered to be moderately stunted, and if it is below -3 SD - severely stunted.
In this regard, children older than 4 years with normal height inconsistent with the parents' height or with a low growth rate, below 4.5 cm per year, may also be considered to have a growth disorder.

Causes of short stature

Most children in developed countries have a physiological form of short stature termed "normal short stature" because there are no other signs of health disorders, and the child's height is consistent with the height and growth pattern of parents or other close relatives (familial short stature).
In a small number of children, the causes are: genetic disorders, hormone secretion disorders, as well as various chronic diseases of the intestines, kidneys, heart, lungs; high-dose corticosteroid therapy.
In underdeveloped countries around the world, malnutrition, due to insufficient food intake in terms of adequate amount and content and/or frequent infections, is the leading cause of short stature.

Based on the measurements, examination of the child, history taking, especially data on the height of parents and close relatives, the pediatrician will assess whether to give specific recommendations and continue to monitor the child's growth or to undertake more detailed examinations.

In exploring the causes of short stature, in addition to looking for other signs of health impairments, it is important for the doctor to have access to the child's height figures for at least 2 preceding years.

Regular monitoring of the child's length/height is a way to detect short stature early and take appropriate measures to improve the prognosis in terms of the possibility of reaching the expected body height.