Medical specialists in Taiwan are urging parents to monitor children’s growth patterns closely, particularly for those born small for gestational age, to enable early intervention and prevent long-term development issues amidst regional height concerns.
Taiwan’s doctors are urging parents to pay closer attention to children who are unusually small at birth or who later drift off their own growth curve, warning that early review can preserve treatment options. At a briefing in Taipei, paediatric specialists said babies born small for gestational age, or SGA, may face a higher risk of later growth problems, and that children who are notably short or have a smaller-than-expected head circumference should be assessed by a paediatrician well before puberty ends.
The warning comes against a backdrop of concern about average height in Taiwan. The report cited data showing that 19-year-old men in Taiwan average 173.5cm and women 160.7cm, placing the island near the bottom among East Asian populations, above only Japan. Clinicians said the issue is not to alarm parents, but to encourage them to track whether a child is following a steady personal growth pattern, rather than comparing them only with classmates.
Yang Sheng-nan, head of the Taiwan Neonatal Medicine Association, said child development should be viewed as a continuous process in which weight, length, head circumference, diet, activity and development all matter. Yang Chia-feng, a doctor in paediatric genetic endocrinology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and director of its genetic counselling centre, said children born SGA often worry families, but the key is not simply size at birth. Parents should seek specialist review if a boy grows less than 5cm in a year before the age of 16, or if a girl grows less than 5cm a year before 14, she said.
The medical advice is also aimed at closing gaps in follow-up care. According to the Chinese Medical University Children’s Hospital doctor Lin Hsiang-yu, children born SGA may move between hospitals, local clinics, preventive check-ups and other care settings, which can leave important information fragmented. The National Health Insurance Administration chief Shih Ching-fen said growth charts in the child health handbook are meant to help parents spot problems early and ensure timely referral, while the Taiwan Pediatric Association advises families to consult paediatric endocrinology services when growth concerns or early puberty signs appear.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
