Does delayed puberty affect a child's height?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tuan - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital
Puberty is the time of development from a child to an adult. This process is considered late if it has not started at age 15 (for women) and age 17 (for men).

1. Causes of delayed puberty

Common causes of delayed puberty include:
Genetics: When someone in the family or clan has delayed puberty. There is no need to intervene in this case. Children still develop normally without affecting physical, mental as well as fertility. Problems with the pituitary or thyroid gland: The role of these glands is to produce hormones that help the body grow and develop normally. Due to abnormal chromosomes: Causes problems with the DNA that "programs" the body's development plan. The most common diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities are: Turner syndrome (for females), which occurs due to a missing or abnormal X chromosome. This affects the development of the ovaries and their ability to produce hormones; Klinefelter syndrome (for boys), occurs when more than one X chromosome (XXY instead of XY) causes a delay in sexual development in a child. Chronic illness: May cause a delay in puberty such as: diabetes, kidney disease or asthma that slows down the body's growth. Nutrition: Being malnourished can make the body grow later than people with a balanced diet. Cases of not eating enough meals, anorexia, eating disorders or applying excessive weight loss diets will make the body unable to develop normally.

2. Growth in height during puberty

Puberty (specified from 12-18 years old) is a time when the body has a remarkable growth in both muscles, skeleton as well as sexual functions. The time to develop the strongest height in women is from 8-17 years old. The maximum height in boys is 12 years old (10cm/year) and maximum up to 14 years old (15cm/year).
The rate of growth in height will gradually decrease around the age of 15 in women and around 17 years in men. Bone size, bone mass, and mineral density increase by about 4% per year from the age of 8 through adolescence.

3. How does delayed puberty affect children?

Girls with delayed puberty are often embarrassed by their peers and worried about their fertility later in life. Delayed puberty does not affect female growth in height and sex drive into adulthood. Therefore, families should encourage children to participate in physical activities, play and study to avoid psychological guilt, low self-esteem... affecting quality of life.
Delayed puberty in boys without treatment will affect height growth, make the penis small, testes atrophy - affect spermatogenesis, lead to male infertility as well as the ability to synthesize testosterone of boys. testicular. When puberty is delayed, children often appear psychological disorders, become depressed and do not communicate with people around.
When there are signs of delayed puberty, parents need to pay attention to the physical development of the child, the psychological changes to provide the doctor with evidence of the child's development process. Finding early solutions will help them overcome late puberty to keep up with their age, ensuring a normal psycho-physiological life.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professor, associate professor, doctorate, master), rich experience, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108... All doctors are well-trained, professional, have a mind - range, and are knowledgeable about young psychology. Besides domestic specialists, the Pediatrics Department also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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