Being short is not just a matter of appearances. It may be a result of other issues
that can affect a child's health. In some cases, being short may be associated with
medical conditions that can impact your child's health now—or in the future.
Some of the issues may be:
- Proper nutrition is essential and may affect your child’s healthy growth.
- Slow growth has been linked to medical issues such as thyroid problems and iron
deficiency (anemia).
- The bodies of some children who are born small have problems processing sugar and
fat, and this may be linked to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and
diabetes in adulthood.
- Children who are short sometimes have low bone weight and bone strength. If this
continues into adulthood, it raises the risk of fractures.
- Short stature has been linked to muscle weakness.
The earlier you speak to your child's doctor, the sooner he or she can help say
for sure whether there is a medical condition that needs to be treated.