My daughter is 9 years old, but her height is only 120 cm. Why?

Hi,

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Your daughter's height is not too small for her age but she is short. Deficiency of anabolic hormones, severe somatic disease, genetic and chromosomal disease can cause retardation in growth. It can also occur due to hereditary factors. Children of short parents are known to have family delayed maturation and they reach puberty later than usual with slow growth. This requires the supervision of a doctor or endocrinologist. Due to slow growth, these children do not reach their possible growth potential inherent in the genes with their age.

At present, it is necessary to consult a doctor to treat the condition. This can be avoided and improved growth rates can be reached by consulting the doctor soon. In some families, there is reduced growth in both the parents. Here growth retardation is present without signs and pathology in the child. In these cases, they do not require treatment. General strengthening measures can help the body to know its existing potential. In the first years, growth retardation can occur due to malnutrition, and impaired intestinal absorption.

If the child lags growth from their peers, it is necessary to consult a doctor to exclude the latent course of celiac disease in the child. It is a condition that shows intolerance to gluten. It is a protein present in wheat and in some other cereals. She requires further investigations. It is necessary to check hypothalamic-pituitary system (gonadotrophin, thyrotrophin, and somatotrophin). Check thyroid panels (thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone) and cortical panels of adrenal glands (glucocorticosteroids) and check the level of somatotrophic hormone and blood calcium levels. Take radiographs of knee joints, shoulder joints, and skull. After that, the doctor can be able to interpret the diagnosis and treatment to have better results.