Growth is a movie, not a photograph
A single weight or height has limited meaning. Pediatric growth becomes informative when measurements are plotted over time. The direction of the curve, the child’s starting point and the family context matter.
Stop turning growth into competition
A cousin who is taller or a classmate who weighs more is not a diagnostic test. Birth weight, prematurity, parental height, nutrition, chronic illness and normal biological variation all influence growth.
Height has a strong genetic component
Parents are understandably attracted to supplements that promise extra height. Dr. Rajiv prefers to ask whether the child is following an appropriate height trajectory and whether there is any evidence of nutritional, hormonal or chronic medical concern.
Development happens in ranges
Milestones are useful because they help us follow development systematically, not because every child must perform the same task on the same date. Premature babies may need corrected-age interpretation.
Questions parents commonly ask
- Is my child too short?
- Why is my child thinner than classmates?
- Can supplements increase height?
- Should I compare milestones?
Videos related to this concern
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Child Height and Growth | बच्चे की हाइट कैसे बढ़ाएँWatch in the Media library →
Childhood Obesity: Causes and Treatment | बच्चों में मोटापाWatch in the Media library →
The Underweight Child | बच्चा बहुत पतला-दुबला हैWatch in the Media library →Read next: Feeding, nutrition & growth
Search the complete library →Breathing difficulty, seizures, bluish colour, altered consciousness, severe dehydration or a child who appears seriously unwell require prompt in-person medical assessment.