My 6-year-old child is shorter than his peers. Should he take growth hormone supplements to increase his height? (Tra My, Ho Chi Minh City)
Reply:
Many parents believe that if their child is short or slow to grow, they should supplement with height-increasing pills advertised as containing growth hormone (GH) to help speed up bone development. This is incorrect.
These supplements typically contain calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and several essential amino acids. These nutrients are also beneficial for children's development. In reality, hormones in general, and growth hormones in particular, only work in the body when they are proteins—that is, large protein chains synthesized by the body's own endocrine glands. Ingesting products (even those containing growth hormones) from external sources, where they are broken down into amino acids in the digestive system, just like eating eggs, meat, or fish normally, does not increase height.
Growth hormone therapy (if needed) is usually prescribed by a doctor via injection (not orally) and requires close monitoring.
If you want to give your child nutritional supplements, you should consult a specialist doctor. Self-medicating or abusing growth hormone supplements can be dangerous to your child's health and development. For example, excess calcium can cause premature ossification of the ends of bones, preventing children from reaching their optimal height in adulthood.
If your child is shorter than their peers, you should take them for a check-up. At Nutrihome, doctors conduct a comprehensive assessment of your child's nutritional status, measuring body composition, bone age, micronutrient testing, and determining height potential. Based on this, doctors advise on dietary improvements, supplements, and scientific exercise to ensure your child achieves optimal height growth.
Master's degree holder, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System
| Readers can ask questions about nutrition here for the doctor to answer. |
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