Symptoms of Short Stature

Short stature is mainly characterized by a height that is significantly below the average height of normal children of the same age by more than two standard deviations, or a yearly growth rate lower than the normal range.

Symptoms of short stature mainly include the following aspects:

1. Significantly shorter height than peers: This is the most obvious manifestation. The child's height increases slowly and appears particularly short compared to children of the same age.

2. Slow growth rate: The patient's growth rate over a period of time is明显 slower than that of peers, potentially表现为 almost no increase in height.

3. Delayed development: Patients may experience delayed skeletal development, delayed tooth eruption, and other phenomena, which are all signs of impaired growth and development.

4. Abnormal facial features: Some patients may present with abnormal facial features such as a smaller head circumference or a flatter nasal bridge.

5. Normal body proportions: Despite being short in stature, the proportions of limbs and trunk are usually similar to those of normal children, without obvious deformities.

6. Normal intellectual development: Short stature typically does not affect intellectual development; the child's cognitive, language, and social skills are on par with peers.

7. Bone age lags behind chronological age: X-ray examination may reveal that the skeletal maturity of children with short stature is slower than their actual age, reflecting the impact of growth hormone deficiency on skeletal development.