Your HCP has probably told you the importance of continuing to measure your child’s growth, to ensure that they are growing as expected for their condition. The following article offers practical guidance and support through your journey.
Why is it important to measure your child’s growth beyond diagnosis?
A child’s growth is much more than just how tall he or she is; it’s is an important indicator of their general health and well-being.
Now that you child has been diagnosed with a growth disorder, it’s important to measure your child’s height regularly and accurately. If your child is older and has already gone through puberty, it is vital to continue measuring their height as they will not be growing as fast, and any issues with their growth may not be so obvious.
How to measure your child
Since diagnosis, you may feel that you are getting used to measuring your child. We understand that it might be difficult or frustrating at times, but we want to make it easier for you. It has been estimated that as many as 70% of children’s heights are measured incorrectly. Remember, footwear, hairstyle and posture may affect height measurement. Take a look at our simple guide to help you.
Measuring your child
When measuring growth, remember to read the measurement at your eye level. It’s best to measure three times and record the average of the measurements.
- Have your child stand barefoot and fully erect with the back of their head, shoulder blades, buttocks, and heels in contact with the vertical surface.
- Position your child’s head in the Frankfort plane and rest the headboard on the crown of the head.
When measuring infant length:
- Remove your child’s footwear and hair ornaments, and remove or loosen the diaper.
- With the crown of the head against the headboard, move the footboard so it rests against the heels of both feet.
If poor growth is detected, possible underlying conditions should be considered, and the child should be referred to an appropriate specialist.
Paediatricians, general practitioners and nurses have a critical role in the early identification of children with poor growth and prompt referral to a specialist for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
Watch the video below to learn more about measuring your child:
Download our useful guide
It is important to measure your child’s height regularly and accurately. Please use our guide for practical tips on how to measure your child’s height.
How to record and monitor your child’s growth
Our simple to use growth calculator lets you see your child’s expected height and where they are in relation to the average range. Regular measuring will help you to monitor your child’s growth disorder, along with those trips to the HCP.
Each time you record your child’s measurements using our growth calculator, you can save the results and then track your child’s progress over time. Remember, you can download and take any growth charts with you next time your visit your child’s HCP, this will help them to understand if any further investigation may be needed.
Calculate your child’s growth
It is important to keep track of your child’s growth in order to identify if there is a problem early on. We recommend measuring your child every 6 months, which is now easier with our simple to use growth calculator.
Where to find support
As a parent of a child with a growth disorder, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed and in need of support. The International Coalition of Organizations Supporting Endocrine Patients or ‘ICOSEP’ provides information on a range of different support groups.
Find out more: https://icosep.org/country-resources/
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