New approach in height development for Vietnamese children

In the context that the stature of Vietnamese children is still far behind that of many countries in the region, new scientific discoveries on the role of vitamin K2, especially MenaQ7 (Vitamin K2-MK7), are opening up a new approach in nutrition and preventive medicine, helping to support height development and bone health for children.

Vitamin K2 was once overlooked because it was often confused with vitamin K1, which plays a role in blood clotting.

In Vietnam, the issue of children's height growth remains a major concern. According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the rate of stunting malnutrition remains high, while the average height growth rate of adolescents is slow compared to the region.

According to Dr. Nguyen Duc Nghia, Deputy Head of the Department of Anatomy, Hanoi Medical University, after evaluating the research results of vitamin K2 supplementation in improving height in children, he said: "The group of children who were continuously supplemented with vitamin K2 had a significantly higher height growth rate than the other group, especially in the two golden stages of preschool age (1-5 years old) and puberty (11-14 years old).

This is a study with a large enough sample size and long enough duration, allowing objective confirmation of the effectiveness and safety of vitamin K2 on children's height development," said Dr. Nguyen Duc Nghia.

Dr. Hogne Vik, Medical & Scientific Advisor, Gnosis by Lesaffre shares about the unique position and role of vitamin K2.

This work, published in the special issue of the Vietnam Journal of Community Medicine , September 2025, marks an important step forward in the field of pediatric nutrition in the country.

According to Dr. Hogne Vik, Medical & Scientific Advisor, Gnosis by Lesaffre, a Norwegian nutritionist with over 30 years of research on vitamin K2, this micronutrient was once overlooked because it was often confused with vitamin K1, which plays a role in blood clotting.

However, in the past two decades, studies have shown that vitamin K2 plays an independent and essential role in bone health, cardiovascular health and overall development.

“Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, but vitamin K2 is the factor that ensures calcium is used properly, going into the bones and not being deposited elsewhere,” Dr. Hogne Vik emphasized.

List of vitamins.

In Vietnam, some recent studies have also begun to document the positive effects of vitamin K2 on physical development in children. The combination of supplementing this micronutrient with a healthy lifestyle including early bedtime, regular exercise and balanced nutrition is believed to help optimize children's growth potential.

The research results in Vietnam are also a notable contribution to the global research picture on vitamin K2, because so far, most international studies have focused on adults, while data on the impact of K2 on height development in children is still limited.

The fact that Vietnam has recorded clear experimental evidence not only has scientific value but also opens up the potential for wide application in the community.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the rate of stunted children in Vietnam remains high, while the average height growth rate of adolescents is still slow. Research and application of vitamin K2, a micronutrient that supports the absorption and transport of calcium to bones, is a necessary direction to improve nutritional quality and improve the stature of the young generation.

Nguyen Trung Hieu

Source: https://nhandan.vn/huong-tiep-can-moi-trong-phat-trien-chieu-cao-cho-tre-em-viet-nam-post919083.html