Yang Chen, a pediatrician in the Affiliated Hospital of Taipei Medical College, mentioned in her new book "Six Genetic Courses to Win at the Starting Point" that she had seen many parents worry that their children were short or overweight, even that their children were overweight at a young age, and even showed signs of precocious puberty.
The growth interval should be "compared with yourself". "Not only parents, but also medical staff may judge the developmental state of the examined children only by comparing the interval standards of growth curves, but often fail to compare the natural genetic trajectory of the children, thus missing the Long March of' what looks normal is actually abnormal'," Yang Chen pointed out.
Yang Chen shared that when examining whether each child's height and weight conform to the normal growth curve, she will first analyze the parents' height and weight, then get the children's genetic height and weight, and then compare whether the children are tall enough or obese at various growth stages.
That is to say, although the interval standard of growth curve is a reference, every child has his own growth rhythm, and more importantly, "compare with himself". According to the child's own conditions, we will see if the child's growth rate is appropriate.
Record height and weight, and pay attention to intellectual development. Apart from children's physical development, Yang Chen reminds us that every age should have room for mental development. She took her eldest son as an example. He didn't call his parents until he was 2 years old. Even Mr. Yang Chen was a little flustered and couldn't help asking, "Is there anything wrong with the child?" 」
In order to reassure the other half, Yang Chen took the child to the front and called his name first to see if he could concentrate on listening to the adults. Then ask him, "Where is the hair? Where are the eyes? " He can point it out correctly. When Yang Chen asked him again, "Where are your teeth?" The child grinned at once, showing little white teeth.
Yang Chen also suggested that parents who are worried about their children can test their children's cognitive development through simple scenarios and questions. The key point is to talk to your child in a normal tone, see if your child can correctly interpret the information you gave them and communicate with others in a way suitable for your child's ability at that time.
"When promoting health education knowledge in outpatient department, I always teach my parents that the evaluation of children's growth should be based on a time interval, rather than being completely kidnapped by' comparative value'," Yang Chen reminded.
Does your child want physical and mental health and adequate sleep? Not only diet, but also sleep and exercise are important for children's development. Yang Chen shared that the clock at home is always half an hour earlier. Children are required to go to bed before 9 o'clock every day since childhood. "School-age children should sleep at least 9 hours a day, and 8 to 10 hours in adolescence is enough." Yang Chen believes that to cultivate children's competitiveness, we should start with daily routine and diet, so that children can be physically and mentally healthy.