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How is “normal” growth defined?
Measured in height, “normal” growth is described as growth of:
Familial short stature, a tendency to follow the family's inherited short stature (shortness).
Constitutional growth delay, also known as delayed puberty. A child with this condition
enters puberty later than average, but is growing at a normal rate. Most of these children
tend to eventually grow to about the same height as their parents.
Illnesses that affect the whole body, also called systemic or chronic illnesses, or illnesses
that affect the digestive tract, kidneys, heart or lungs.
Malnutrition. Constant malnutrition prevents a child from growing as tall as she could; a
well-balanced diet generally prevents or corrects this. Malnutrition is the most common
cause of growth failure around the world.
Severe stress
Endocrine (hormone) diseases, such as diabetes or a lack of thyroid hormones, which are
necessary for normal bone growth.
Syndromes (genetic disorders). Growth problems may be a feature of syndromes such
as Cushing's syndrome, Turner syndrome, Down syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Russell-
Silver syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.
Growth hormone deficiency. A child with this growth disorder has a problem with the
pituitary gland (small gland at the base of the brain) that secretes several hormones,
including growth hormone.
Congenital (present at birth) problems in the tissues where growth occurs.
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This condition results from a fetus’s slow growth
within the uterus. The baby is born smaller in weight and length than normal, in
proportion to his short stature.
Chromosome abnormalities. Having too many or too few chromosomes can result in
health problems, including problems with growth.
Skeletal abnormalities. There are more than 50 bone diseases that affect height and
growth, many of which are genetic. The most common is achondroplasia, a type of
dwarfism in which the child's arms and legs are short in proportion to his/her body
length. The head is often large and the trunk is normal-sized.
Precocious puberty. This growth disorder is characterized by an early onset of
adolescence in which a child is tall for his age initially, but due to rapid bone maturity,
growth stops at an early age and the child may be short as an adult.
Genetic conditions. There are a few genetic conditions that result in tall stature, where
other health problems are also present.
Idiopathic. There are several growth disorders that are idiopathic, meaning that there is
no known cause for the growth problem.
slow development of physical skills, such as rolling over, sitting up, standing and walking
delayed social and mental skills
delayed development of secondary sexual characteristics in adolescence
source : http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/g/growth-
problems/symptoms-and-causes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279142/