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$ 99 MI?
Size Is A Big
Factor To Kids
KATHRYN REM SPECIAL TO THE JEIWSH NEWS
N
head circumference. Each mea-
surement is plotted separately
on a chart that shows how the
child compares with others of the
same gestational age.
When a doctor tells a mother
that her child is at the 50th per-
centile, it means half of all chil-
dren of the same gestational age
are taller and half are shorter. A
child in the fifth percentile is
shorter than 95 percent of same-
age children.
The statistics take into ac-
count children's sporadic eating
patterns.
"Parents will come in when
the toddler is 15 months and say,
`He's not eating anything now,'
and you can reassure them with
the chart that he's still growing,"
Professor Lake says. A child's
ranking at any one point, she
says, is not as important as his
or her progress over time.
Although parents may worry
if their child's growth is in the
lower percentiles, there usually
is no need for alarm.
terms that are associated with
short — shortsighted, short-
changed, shortcut. To be short is
thought to be a disadvantage."
Kathy Lake, assistant profes-
sor of pediatrics at SIU School of
Medicine in Springfield, says
parental anxieties about height
almost always center on short,
rather than tall, children.
"It seems to be more of a con-
cern with dads and their sons,"
she says.
The average newborn weighs
about seven pounds and is 20
inches long. Boys tend to be a bit
heavier than girls at birth, and
first babies generally are small-
er than their future siblings.
Black newborns have a slightly
lower birth weight than white
babies.
Starting at birth, doctors mon-
itor growth by charting the pro-
gression of weight, length and
"Most people who come to us
for evaluation turn out to be nor-
mal," Dr. Khardori says.
The most likely reason for a
child's short stature is genetics.
Simply put, short parents are
likely to have short children. De-
spite short stature, the child ex-
periences the same physical
maturation processes as other
children of the same age.
Another reason for short
stature is delayed maturation.
These late bloomers take longer
to complete growing, but even-
tually reach normal height. Such
a growth pattern is considered
normal.
More troubling to doctors are
abnormal growth patterns. Com-
mon causes include:
• Endocrine disorders. Dr.
Khardori says the top hormonal
reason for stunted growth is lack
of adequate thyroid hormone (hy-
pothyroidism). An abnormal pi-
tuitary gland is another cause.
• Nutritional and emotional
o one wants to be the
smallest kid on the team.
That's why moms and
dads routinely question
pediatricians about their chil-
dren's growth, seeking assur-
ances that Shira and David are
sprouting normally.
The American preoccupation
with physical size dogs us
through infancy, school years
and adulthood. Studies show
that size, to some extent, deter-
mines what sports we participate
in, how successful we are in the
job and how we feel about our-
selves.
It prompts the inevitable com-
parisons with other same-age
children and often provokes
needless worry by parents of
short children.
"By and large, height is re-
spected," says Romesh Khardori,
associate professor of en-
docrinology at Southern Illinois
University School of Medicine in
Springfield, Ill.
"You have these derogatory
Always open.
And close.
has immediate access to your medical infor-
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For after-hours questions, you can
accommodating we are. Stop
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HAP and most major health care plans are welcome.
HAP members are also welcomed at over 60
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MEDICAL CENTER
West Bloomfield
The Name You Can Trust For Complete Health Care.
6777 W.
Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Next time you feed your face, think about your heart.
Go easy on your heart and start cutting back on foods that are high in saturated
fat and cholesterol. The change'II do you good.
70
U American Heart Association
WE'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE
Kathryn Rem is a writer for
Copley News Service.