The height of a child each day is not only a source of joy for parents, but also reflects the child’s health and development. The height of a child changes rapidly, especially during the early years of life. Parents must monitor their child’s growth and height to plan effective childcare. Let’s explore the standard height of a 16-month-old child in this article on Debametulam.com!
Understanding the process of a child’s height growth
Japan – a country in Asia, used to be a small country. The national nutrition program has made a significant improvement in the physical development of Japanese people. Nutrition plays an important role in the growth process, especially during important milestones such as infancy, puberty, and pre-puberty.
There are three stages that determine a child’s height growth.
The first stage is the prenatal stage.
Pregnant women need to be careful about their nutrition during the 9-month period. They should also ensure that they have adequate nutrition. Pregnant women gain weight, and during this stage, the child can reach a height of 50cm, with a weight of 10 to 12 kg.
The second stage is the infancy period.
Children at this age can grow up to 25cm in their first year, and about 10cm each year after that.
Children at the age of 4 see an average height increase of 5-6 cm each year. This stage continues until puberty
The third stage is the puberty period
If children are properly cared for, their height can increase at an average rate of 8-12 cm during the puberty and pre-puberty years.
It’s hard to know exactly when a healthy diet is needed for children. Height gradually decreases after puberty.
A child at the age of 10 can reach 80% of their adult height. An adult’s height is calculated by multiplying a child’s height at the age of two by two.
Children stop growing in height at around 25-30 years old. After that, bone loss occurs rapidly, so their bodies may not grow taller.
Evidence shows that children’s height growth stabilizes, and the growth rate slows down as they reach adulthood.
Parents must pay close attention to nutrition and height to support their child’s development, especially during the first year. Many parents are curious about the height of a 16-month-old child. To promote their overall development, it’s essential to have a care plan in place.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, the height of a 16-month-old child must be determined and divided by gender. The average height of a 16-month-old child is 78.6cm for boys and 80.2cm for girls. These measurements allow parents to monitor their child’s development and identify any potential health issues, such as nutrition-related issues, overweight, obesity, malnutrition, and underweight.
Factors affecting the height of a 16-month-old child
Genetics and other factors
Height is usually influenced by genetics, which accounts for only 23% of the height variance from grandparents or parents. Other factors affecting height include nutrition, exercise, chronic diseases, and diet.
Low nutrition during pregnancy
The decisive factor in a child’s height development is the mother’s pregnancy and childbirth time. A child can develop a healthy height if the mother receives sufficient necessary nutrients, including essential micronutrients such as iron and folic acid, during this time. The mother plays a beneficial role in the child’s development.
Diet during the weaning period
Making mistakes in raising children can negatively impact a child’s development, particularly their height. A 16-month-old child starting to wean is considered special. If the mother only focuses on a protein-rich diet, she should drink less milk.
However, a child’s height development can be affected by consuming too much sugar and not enough vitamins and minerals. The components of food such as vitamins and minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, all of which are crucial factors in determining height growth. Parents should provide children with a variety of foods as soon as they start eating.
Living environment
Children are affected by noise, pollution, and diseases caused by environmental pollution and factories. A child’s height can also be affected by prolonged antibiotic-resistant infections
A common issues affecting height growth in 16-month-old children
Lazy eating in children:
Lazy eating in children can lead to inadequate nutrient intake, which can result in malnutrition and slow growth and development.
Treating lazy eating in children can help them avoid the consequences and catch up with their height and growth.
Children who do not drink milk:
Two situations can arise for children who do not like milk. The child may not want to drink milk. Parents should encourage their children to eat more dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, and milk powder. They should also give their children foods that are high in calcium, such as crab, shrimp, and snails, to promote growth and development.
Children not sleeping well:
The height development of children is also affected by how well they sleep. To allow the pituitary gland enough time to produce growth hormones, children should sleep at least 8 hours each night.
Children at this age need to supplement their diet with essential micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, and chromium. They also need vitamin B1 (vitamin B6), ginger, vitamin C, and carrot extract (vitamin A) to improve their taste, eat well, have a strong immune system, and have less digestive problems.
Top nutrition experts advise parents to be calm and firm when supplementing their children’s diets, whether through food or functional foods. Functional foods should be chosen from natural sources, easily digestible, not multifunctional, and not constantly changing. Nutrition experts emphasize the importance of bioavailable zinc. Parents need to learn how to supplement zinc for their children at the right time to avoid zinc deficiency affecting their children’s development.
Iron deficiency anemia in children:
Parents need to find ways to improve their children’s condition if they are suffering from iron deficiency anemia. They should ensure that their children are consuming iron-rich foods such as liver, blood, eggs, fish, shrimp, green leafy vegetables, and vitamin A in fresh fruits and vegetables. This will help them absorb iron from food.
Children who are not exposed to sunlight may be deficient in vitamin D. This is good for their physical development, especially their height. To help their children develop more comprehensively, parents should consult with a pediatrician.
Parents should also supplement their children with zinc, as well as other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, and vitamin B.
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