Research-backed
Image: Shutterstock
It’s magical how your tiny bundle of joy grows into a toddler with a blink of an eye. But there’s more to this magic. When a proud preschooler announces “Look Mumma, how tall I am, just like a superman!” mothers can’t stop themselves from getting curious about the child’s physical development. And it’s absolutely natural to think “How tall will my baby grow?”. Paediatricians are a reliable source of information on this topic. But here are some simple, fun and commonly used ways to draw the growth chart of your smartypants.
1. A tall new-born
Some babies are taller than others when they are born. All thanks to their genes and the nutrition mommies are packed with during pregnancy. Tall newborns are most likely to grow into tall adults (1). There are always exceptions though. But tall babies, become tall toddlers and tall teenagers and taller adults. So if the new-born feet are kicking beyond the baby-blanket, be happy.
2. Genetic genie
A child’s height and body type can be estimated by genetic factors (2). Whether your little wonder will grow up to be tall, short, lean or hefty depends on the genes that they have inherited. A child’s adult height can be calculated by adding the mother’s and father’s heights, dividing that number by 2, and adding 2.5 inches for boys or subtracting 2.5 inches for girls. Another commonly believed rule is that an adult’s height when fully grown is double their height at the age of 3.
3. Nutritious food logic
Healthy food habit is a sure shot way to make sure your child is growing perfectly (3). Activity levels of children increase with nutritious food, thereby, adding to their height and health in general. The nutrition provided in the first one thousand days of a child’s life is extremely important for their overall healthy growth. Doesn’t mean you stop at that. The better they eat, the more you add to their superpowers!
4. Calculating bone age
This scientific method used by paediatricians is one of the most accurate ways to determine your little ones height. The “bone age” is evaluated with an X-ray of child’s hand and wrist to determine the pace of bone maturation. Doctors assess growth plates by comparing them to the book of standards. This test is mostly done for particular medical conditions.
5. Growth charts
Following a growth chart by measuring your child’s height at regular intervals can help in assessing how tall your child will grow in coming months and years. It also helps parents judge the onset of puberty in older kids. Growth charts can be fun for both kids and parents. A motivational graph of sorts for healthy lifestyle and ‘touch the stars’ goals!
Other than the above, sex of the baby (boys tend to be taller toddlers as compared to girls), genetic or medical conditions, hormones and medication in teenage years also affect the growth of a person.
Plus, there are unexpected surprises. Some toddlers keep towering irrespective of all odds while others remain short in the early years and pull up a tall figure after puberty. It’s all a part of the game and different for every individual.
What’s more important is to make kids comfortable in their skin. Wiping off the notions like ‘tall and slender is a synonym to beautiful’ or ‘tall, dark and handsome is the way to be.’
Healthy growth of body and mind should be the primary focus. And once that bit is in place, everything else will be a cakewalk.
So when your little wonders display their super-powers, make them believe that they are capable of much more. There is a world beyond height, weight and figures. A happy world of the imaginative mind.
