What are the warning signs that a child is not growing tall?
Disease description:
My son has always been shorter than others, and he hasn't grown much in the past two years. I'm really worried that he won't grow tall. What are the warning signs of stunted growth in children?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Ma Yan
Signs that a child may not grow taller include little or no noticeable height increase over a period of 1 to 2 years, indicating the onset of growth cessation. An X-ray of the growth plates (epiphyses) can be taken to check whether they have closed; once the growth plates in the knee or hip joints are fused, further height growth is essentially complete. Additionally, if muscles become increasingly firm and more defined, or if secondary sexual characteristics are significantly developed, this also indicates that growth in height has likely stopped.
