The Importance of Keeping Track of your Child’s Growth
The Importance of Keeping Track of your Child’s Growth
Every child grows differently and it is a joy for most parents to see them meeting all the good milestones. Height problems in children if not treated can cause stunted growth and physical disabilities. Though there is no one measure way to identify delays as development is always on-going. Using weight/height charts or keeping track of milestones are easy ways to see what is going well and when to be concerned. Besides consulting a medical professional, the right combination of physical activity, fresh healthy foods, and age-appropriate nutritional supplements (eg. Pediasure) when necessary, can help put your child’s growth back on track.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Importance of weight/height charts to keep track of growth milestones
Examples of milestones would be their first word, when they lost their first tooth, showing favorite interests, clear expression of feelings, or made a major decision on their own. Weight and height charts help you visually compare right away if your child meets the average set of the two measurements for their age. It also helps keep track of how much they have grown and weight gain or loss and bring to light any height problems in children.2, 3, 4
As much as an underweight child can have delays in developmental, obese children can develop blood glucose and cholesterol related diseases early on. There are many levels of weight and height chart sets available online, but your local Pediatrician or related Medical Professional can provide a more culturally and locally relevant one for easier understanding. Keep a chart of your child’s height, weight, and age it was recorded at for better consultation.1, 5
What should be done if there are signs of slow growth?
Signs of slowed growth are slowed speech, slow and fatigued movements, have height problems, have mood swings, do not play well, and behind others in education. If you are really concerned about your child’s development, act early and consult a doctor. Besides behavioral issues, a child’s healthy gain in height for age and weight signals an efficient nutritional intake for proper bone and muscle health. 2, 4, 5
On average, a 5 years old child should be about 16.47 kg to 20.28 kg in weight and at 104.90 cm to 112.27 cm in height depending on gender.6 If a child is short for their age, aside from genetics, they may be lacking in bone growth nutrients like arginine, vitamin K2, D, zinc and muscle health (to support mobility and holding up the body) essential amino acids. Even if your child is eating well, take a hard look at their food because though there may be calories, they are low in nutrients. Along with nutritional adjustments, limit opportunities to be sedentary, sign them up for school activities, and model a healthier lifestyle as a parent. Exercise and frequent physical activity will help build stronger muscles and bones by stimuli for the body to adapt.5, 7
Nutritional supplement option
Feed your child plenty of beans, lean chicken without skin, nuts, spinach, cabbage, yogurt, sweet potatoes, eggs, berries, salmon, and milk for starters. These items are packed full of, to name a few, protein, vitamins B, E, C, D, K, A, calcium, omega fatty acids, and prebiotics, that not only support growth, but takes care of gut health and immunity.7 For a more rounded support, parents can get nutritional support from child nutritional supplements when food alone is not enough. For situations like this, nutritional supplements like PediaSure® come in handy. Each of Pediasure’s scientifically formulated range of products are packed full of a total of 37 essential nutrients that include the key growth supporting D, B6, C, K, calcium, and iron.8
Find out which one works for your child by consulting a pediatrician or visit Pediasure Myanmar for more information and free samples and begin a journey to keep your children’s growth on track.
References:
- https://edn.ne.gov/cms/resources/staying-on-track-as-your-child-grows-and-learns
- https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/tracking-your-childs-development
- https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-5yr.html
- https://pediasure.com.ph/kids-children-growth-milestones
- https://pediasure.com.ph/growth-milestones/achieve-normal-height-and-weight
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-that-make-you-taller#1.-Beans
- https://abbottfamily.com.sg/products/page/pediasure