"What should I do if my child is half a head shorter than his peers?" "My child is only 8 years old, but his bone age is already 10 years old?" "My child hasnt grown much in a year."
In recent years, the issue of children having advanced bone age has gradually increased, and many parents are at a loss due to concerns that their childrens height might "peak prematurely".
Regarding this, Professor Yang Shufen, Vice President of Hainan Chengmei Hospital and a child health care expert, stated that a larger bone age is not "irreversible", and blind anxiety or excessive intervention is not advisable. Only scientific management can help children preserve their growth potential.
First, lets understand: What does it mean to have an advanced bone age?
Bone age is an important indicator reflecting the maturity of childrens bones, and it can predict the final adult height more accurately than actual age. Usually, a difference of ±1 year between bone age and actual age is considered normal, while a difference exceeding 1 year indicates that the bone age is advanced.
Potential impacts of advanced bone age: Accelerated skeletal maturation may lead to premature closure of growth space. Clinical data indicates that for every 1-year advanced bone age, adult height may decrease by 2-5 cm, and some children may experience a situation of being tall during childhood but short in adulthood.
Find the reason: Who "pushed" the bones to grow faster due to the advanced bone age?
The over-advanced bone age is not caused by a single factor, but rather the result of combined effects from multiple aspects. Parents can investigate from the following aspects:
Precocious puberty: This is the most common reason! When girls develop secondary sexual characteristics (such as breast development, testicular enlargement) before the age of 7.5 and boys before the age of 9, it indicates an excessive secretion of sex hormones (estrogen/androgen) in the body, which directly "urges" the bones to mature.
Nutritional excess: Long-term high-sugar and high-fat diets (such as milk tea, fried chicken, and desserts), or blindly supplementing with "tonics" (royal jelly, placenta extract, and growth-enhancing drugs), may lead to fat accumulation, stimulate estrogen secretion, and accelerate bone age progression.
Disrupted sleep-wake cycle: Growth hormone is secreted most abundantly during deep sleep at night (especially from 10 PM to 2 AM). Prolonged stay up late (such as doing homework until after 11 PM or playing mobile phones) can inhibit the secretion of growth hormone, disrupt endocrine rhythms, and indirectly accelerate bone age.
Insufficient exercise: Exercise can stimulate bone growth. Lack of exercise not only causes bones to mature prematurely but also increases the risk of obesity, exacerbating the issue of advanced bone age.
Disease factors: Diseases such as hyperthyroidism can lead to hormone imbalances, affecting skeletal development. If the bone age is 2 years older than normal or accompanied by slow height growth, it is necessary to promptly investigate for underlying diseases.
Key point: 4 scientific "braking" techniques
The core of "braking" bone age is to delay the closure of the epiphyseal line and maximize the remaining growth space.
01 Diet: Reject "forced ripening", prioritize balance
Avoid foods containing hormones or hormone-like substances, such as uninspected meat, non-standard out-of-season fruits and vegetables, honey, birds nest, and protein powder, to prevent stimulating glandular development;
Control high-sugar and high-fat foods: reduce fried foods and sugary drinks to prevent obesity (obesity increases the risk of advanced bone age);
Ensure basic nutrition: consume high-quality protein (eggs, milk, lean meat), calcium (dairy products, soy products), and vitamin D (egg yolks, deep-sea fish + 1-2 hours of outdoor activities) daily, combined with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.
02 Lifestyle: Get enough "golden hours" of sleep to promote growth hormone secretion
Growth hormone is secreted most abundantly between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. during the night, with the secretion level during deep sleep being three times higher than that during wakefulness. Recommendation:
Children aged 3-6 should sleep for 10-12 hours per day, while those aged 7-12 should sleep for 9-10 hours;
Fall asleep before 9:30 pm and get up around 7 am, avoiding disrupting your routine on weekends;
Stay away from electronic products 1 hour before going to bed, and help yourself enter deep sleep through reading and other activities.
03 Exercise: Choose "Longitudinal Exercise" to activate skeletal potential
It is recommended to engage in "longitudinal stimulus sports" such as skipping rope, basketball, high jump, and swimming, as moderate stress can stimulate growth potential.
Suggestion:
Exercise for 5-6 days per week, accumulating 30-60 minutes per day;
Children aged 6-12 should jump rope 1000-1500 times per day (in 3-5 sets), accompanied by 20-30 minutes of basketball/high jump practice;
Avoid high-intensity training for more than 1 hour per day to prevent joint damage.
04 Monitoring: Regular review and dynamic adjustment
Dynamic tracking is necessary for changes in bone age:
For those with a bone age 1-2 years older than their actual age, a follow-up examination should be conducted every 3-6 months;
For those who are 2 years old or older, or those with precocious puberty, follow the doctors advice and have a follow-up examination every 2-3 months;
If the growth rate slows down (less than 2 centimeters in half a year), adjust the intervention plan in a timely manner.
Avoiding pitfalls: Dont step on these 3 "pitfalls"
Dont blindly use "height-increasing products": Most height-increasing drugs and health products on the market may contain hormones, which may seem effective in the short term but actually accelerate the closure of the epiphyseal line and shorten the growth cycle;
Do not excessively diet to lose weight: "Control weight rather than reduce weight". Excessive dieting can lead to nutritional deficiency, affecting bone growth. One can return to normal weight through adjusting diet and exercise;
Dont neglect psychological counseling: Parental anxiety can easily be passed on to children, leading to issues such as low self-esteem, which in turn can affect growth hormone secretion. It is necessary to integrate bone age management into daily life with a peaceful mindset.
Professor Yang Shufen reminds us that having an older bone age is not a "death sentence for height", but rather an "adjustment signal" sent by the body. Early detection and intervention (optimal age 6-12 years old) can help most children catch up with the growth rhythm. Parents should not panic, maintain a stable mindset, and develop healthy habits with their children - height is a "marathon", and scientific companionship is more useful than blind anxiety!
Childrens Health Care Clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital
Relying on the high-quality resources of the hospital, the Child Healthcare Clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital focuses on providing professional services for the healthy growth of children. Adhering to the concept of "prevention first, precise intervention", the clinic places emphasis on disease prevention and growth and development monitoring. Leveraging scientific methods, it detects potential issues in childrens growth processes through height management, nutritional guidance, psychological and behavioral intervention, and other means, and intervenes in advance to help children lay a healthy foundation.
Expert Introduction
Yang Shufen Vice President
Chief Physician, Professor
Graduate supervisor Child health care expert
Medical expertise: With over 30 years of experience in child health care, I specialize in child nutrition and feeding guidance, monitoring and evaluation of child growth and development, especially in child height management.
Clinic Hours: Open all day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Xian Yu Shuming, Chief Physician
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatric Internal Medicine Specialist
Medical expertise: As a senior visiting scholar at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, I am familiar with domestic and international child health guidelines and skilled in pediatric health monitoring and evaluation, disease prevention and health management, as well as family health education.
Clinic Hours: Every Tuesday and Thursday, all day