Parents' mistakes that turn their children into short ones instead of tall ones.

Poor fetal nutrition, babies not being breastfed at birth, and those receiving excessive calcium supplements later in life can all hinder a child's height development.

Parents always want their children to grow tall, but if proper nutrition isn't prioritized from the fetal stage and if children aren't nurtured correctly, their height development will be limited. Below are some mistakes parents make that hinder a child's height growth.

The belief that genetic inheritance is everything.

According to studies worldwide, adult height is the result of a combination of several key factors: genetics, gender, nutrition, health, physical activity, and sleep. Of these, a child's height is only about 25% dependent on genetic factors.

Children who carry genes for short stature but are given the best possible conditions for development will be able to maximize the potential of their genes. Parents or grandparents may have genes for normal height, but due to deprived living conditions in the past, these genes may not have been expressed. When their descendants are well-nourished, their height will improve significantly.

Similarly, if a child has genes for tall stature but lacks the aforementioned care, the advantages of their genes will not be fully realized, and the child may still be short or below average.

It does not create favorable conditions for fetal development.

Many families lack awareness of how to care for pregnant mothers, such as their diet, rest, and daily activities. Mothers experiencing severe morning sickness, poor appetite, and failing to gain 12 kg during their nine months of pregnancy need supplemental milk and adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B and C, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin A (low doses below 5,000 IU per day).

Not ensuring sufficient breast milk for the baby during the first 6 months of life.

Many mothers, influenced by exaggerated advertising claims about the effectiveness of formula milk, have come to value it highly. However, breast milk remains the most suitable source of nutrition for a child's healthy development.

A mother's restrictive diet, leading to nutritional deficiencies, can also result in insufficient breast milk. Breastfeeding mothers need to drink at least 400 ml of milk a day and eat a balanced diet (various meats, eggs, shrimp, crab, fish, fruits and vegetables), only avoiding spicy and sour seasonings, garlic, and fermented foods that can cause digestive problems. Mothers also need family support to ensure they get enough sleep and maintain a relaxed state of mind to produce more milk.

The complementary feeding regimen is not appropriate in terms of quantity and quality.

This leads to insufficient energy for growth and, in particular, deficiencies in essential micronutrients for height development, such as vitamins A and D, calcium, iron, and zinc. In some cases, babies are introduced to solid foods too early, at just 2-3 months old. In exceptional cases where babies are intolerant to milk and are malnourished, they may start earlier, but still at least at 4 months. Introducing solid foods too early, when the baby's body lacks sufficient digestive enzymes, can lead to prolonged digestive disorders and severe malnutrition.

Conversely, introducing solid foods too late can lead to a lack of energy and micronutrients necessary for a child's normal development because breast milk alone does not provide enough at this stage.

It's also important to note that bone broth has no nutritional value, containing neither calcium nor protein. Therefore, using only bone broth and flour without adding meat, eggs, shrimp, or fish will lead to nutritional deficiencies in children. Instead, finely grind meat and fish, or beat eggs and mix them into the flour with water so that children can consume both the liquid and the solids to obtain sufficient nutrients.

If a child eats very little or skips meals, the number of meals needs to be increased. Note that adding too little or no oil or fat to a child's porridge or gruel can lead to insufficient energy intake. For infants just starting solids, it is recommended to include 2.5-5 ml of oil or fat per meal; for children nearing one year old, this amount should be increased to 10-15 ml per meal. A lack of this component will prevent the child from absorbing vitamins D and A, which are essential for height development.

The notion that children shouldn't eat fish, shrimp, or crab for fear of diarrhea is incorrect. This leads to a deficiency in calcium and other trace elements necessary for height growth. Children with coughs and diarrhea can still eat normally; only in rare cases of allergies to fish, shrimp, or crab (which are very uncommon) should these foods be avoided.

Parents should also note that children should not drink industrial soft drinks that are too high in sugar (damaging to teeth) and have low nutritional value, which can easily cause metabolic disorders later in life. Some types of drinks contain stimulants like cocaine, which inhibit calcium absorption and significantly affect height.

Avoid giving your baby too much calcium.

Many families concerned about their children's height simply think that they need to supplement with plenty of calcium, even in the form of medication. At the National Institute of Nutrition, doctors have encountered children who received high doses of vitamin D (2,000-3,000 IU daily) even though they were not deficient in vitamin D, and 500-1,000 mg of calcium daily even though they were not deficient in calcium. The consequences include vitamin D and calcium toxicity (higher than normal blood levels of these substances), signs of neurotoxicity, digestive disorders, and kidney stone formation.

When you notice your baby has some of the following symptoms:constipationIf your child is tired, nauseous, has a poor appetite, or experiences bone or muscle pain, or frequent urination, mothers should take their child to be checked to see if their blood calcium levels are too high so that adjustments can be made promptly. According to nutrition experts, excess calcium in the body can lead to stunted growth in children.

For children to have recurrent infections (respiratory, digestive) multiple times (once every 1-2 months)

Studies show that this is the leading cause of stunted growth, as children often have poor appetite and use many antibiotics which affect cartilage and bone development…

Not providing opportunities for children to exercise and play sports.

When children are young, their families carry them around too much, and when they grow older, they spend too much time playing on computers, which prevents them from having an active lifestyle; it doesn't promote metabolism and nutrient exchange, which helps the body develop properly.

Therefore, increased physical activity is necessary: ​​encourage children to participate in household chores and play their favorite sports (especially those with stretching movements such as basketball, pull-ups, swimming, etc., or running, jumping in place, cycling, etc.) for 20-60 minutes daily, depending on the child's physical condition. This helps increase synovial fluid secretion in the joints, leading to increased growth hormone levels.

Children go to bed too late.

Deep sleep helps the body conserve energy. Especially during nighttime sleep, the pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which stimulates growth in children. In fact, children in cities often stay up very late due to playing or studying too much, which can negatively impact their height.

Children should go to bed early, before 10 pm, and have a regular sleep schedule to avoid irregularities.

According to VNE