Chennai-21.11.2023-Childhood is a time of rapid growth and development, but at times,
children may experience delays in their growth for various reasons. Parents often grapple with
feelings of uncertainties, wondering why their child isn’t growing as expected and that can
sometimes be overwhelming.
Stunted growth occurs due to either inadequate nutrient intake, which can lead to growth
impairment, chronic illnesses, or environmental factors 1 . Today, across the world, there are
approximately 149 million stunted children below the age of five. In fact, a report by the World
Health Organization shows that India accounts for nearly one-third of the global childhood
stunting burden with 40.6 million children stunted under the age of five.
Let’s deep dive into what catch-up growth is, its causes, and how parents can support their
child’s catch-up growth journey.
What Is Catch-Up Growth?
Malnutrition stands as a primary cause for stunted growth in children. Children often
experience growth spurt upon the restoration of adequate nutrition known as spontaneous
catch-up (CU) growth. This helps kids regain their initial growth trajectory. 2 Children who
experience faltering development often need extra calories, protein, and micronutrients. These
nutrients serve a dual purpose, it not only replenishes what was lost during periods of
inadequate intake but also helps to support further growth. 3
Many children are consuming nutritious foods; however, it’s necessary to address the challenges
of efficient nutrition. Minerals, such as calcium, iron, and zinc, are crucial for a child’s growth
and development. Additionally, encouraging active engagement in physical activities is a key
factor in nurturing children’s overall well-being.
How to Promote Growth through Nutritional Intervention
While providing proper nutrition is crucial to your child’s healthy growth and development at all
stages, nutritional intervention is also essential from an early age. There is a need to understand
and address undernutrition, which can result from insufficient dietary intake, suboptimal
nutrient absorption, or utilization of inefficient nutrients. Focusing on a child’s life at an earlier
stage will mitigate the serious consequences it can have on their growth potential, ensuring they
reach their full developmental capacity.
Evaluating childhood nutrition involves more than just ensuring your child consumes his/her
vegetables; it can be a multifaceted process. The key outcome of good nutrition is crucial not
only for achieving optimal height but also for supporting cognitive development and bolstering
immune function. Approaching a healthcare physician should be considered when treating kids
who are falling behind on growth.
Encouraging Healthy and Holistic growth in Children: Children are often more
physically active than adults, therefore they tend to be hungrier. Make sure they eat a well-
balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods and nutrients. Here are a few ways how you can
ensure your child’s development with these healthy habits:
- Measure and monitor to help your child grow: Begin by regularly monitoring
your child’s growth, particularly for children aged 2 to 6 years. Dr Bhaskar Raju,
DCH, MD, DM, HOD Dept of Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Institute of Child
Health adds, “It is advisable to measure them every three months, and parents can
opt to use tools such as a growth diary or tracker. Accurate measurement is crucial for
comprehending and tracking a child’s growth.” Moreover, it can aid in the early
detection of growth deficiencies, enabling parents to take prompt action and address the
underlying causes - Eat right: To support holistic growth, provide a balanced diet that includes cereals,
pulses, milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables daily. This ensures your child receives the
necessary protein, vitamins, and minerals for healthy bone development. For parents of
fussy eaters, consider using oral nutrition supplements for a well-rounded diet. Engage
your children in shopping, meal planning, and cooking to increase their interest in eating
what they’ve helped prepare. Make meals more appealing by using cookie cutters to
create fun shapes with fruits and vegetables like apples and cucumbers, or serve a
colorful variety of foods for breakfast and dinner - Exercise: Establish a balanced play regimen for children to limit screen time. On
holidays, you can motivate kids to embrace a ‘gadget-free’ day and encourage them to
spend time with the entire family. Make sure children engage in a minimum of 3 hours of
physical activity daily, which can include activities like swimming, running, skipping,
walking, or dancing. Physical activity plays a crucial role in enhancing bone health, and
promoting overall physical well-being
To promote comprehensive development, a well-rounded diet can enhance the absorption of
vital nutrients. If your child doesn’t eat enough calories and nutrients, nutrition supplements
can help fill some of the gaps. Supplements act as both gap-covers as well as catalysts,
enhancing the body’s capability to absorb essential vitamins and minerals from the foods your
child consumes. It’s like turning up the volume on nutrient absorption, so their body can make
the most of every single bite.