Jump! jump!

Make sure your child gets enough food, eats a healthy diet and does plenty of physical activity. This can help develop their bones and muscles.

As we usher in the New Year, a lot of Filipino superstitions come to mind — turning on all the lights for a bright future, opening all the doors and windows to let good fortune in and wearing polka dots and having round fruits on the table for prosperity.

Then at the stroke of midnight, making as much noise as possible to scare off evil spirits and especially for children, jumping up and down 12 times to grow taller in the coming year. Growing up, I have jumped as high as I could every New Year’s Eve. But being just under five feet tall myself, I can say that it didn’t work!

Being short, or the more politically-correct term “vertically-challenged,” has its advantages. You have more leg room in the car and on the airplane, you can shop in different areas — children’s, petite and regular sections, and you’re more likely to win in a game of limbo. There’s even Short Girl Appreciation Day, aptly celebrated on 21 December, the shortest day of the year.

But when does being short become a health concern? Many parents bring their children to see their doctor if they feel they are shorter than normal.

Children usually grow a lot in the first two years of life. Then their growth slows down until they reach puberty during the preteen and teen years when changes in the body happen. During puberty, they go through “growth spurt” where they grow a lot in a short amount of time.

With each visit to the pediatrician your child’s height and weight are measured and compared to other children of the same age and gender. Your pediatrician will keep track of your child’s progress and speed at which they are growing. If your child is much shorter than other children of the same age and sex, this is called “short stature.”

Most children who are short are healthy and do not have medical problems. These children can be short because:

* One or both of their parents are short. If a child’s parents are short, chances are good that he or she will be short, too. If you and your spouse are under 5’5” you can’t expect your child to be six feet tall.

* They are growing more slowly than normal and have a “growth delay.” These children are short because they have their growth spurt later than other children. But these children will grow to a normal height as adults.

* They had a growth spurt at a younger age. Some children grow quickly when they are young and go through their growth spurt early. For a while, they are taller than other children their age. But then other children catch up to them and grow taller.

Some children who are short can have a medical problem. Different problems and conditions can cause children to be shorter than normal. Some of these include:

* Poor nutrition growing up and being very thin

* Having chronic conditions that affect the digestive system, heart, lungs, kidneys or blood

* A lack of hormones, such as thyroid hormone or growth hormone

Your pediatrician can decide if further testing is needed, such as blood tests and X-rays of the hands, wrists and legs, to determine if there is an abnormal cause for the short stature.

If your child is short because of a medical problem, treatment can help. If it is due to a growth hormone deficiency, this is treated with growth hormone. The treatment, however, is expensive and is not easy as children will need to get a shot every day for many years. And even with the injection, children may only grow by two to three inches. Parents should not expect their children to become very tall with the use of growth hormone.

Growth hormone can be harmful if not taken correctly and should not be used by patients who do not have a deficiency. It should only be used in children upon the recommendation of a pediatric endocrinologist.

Adults who have growth hormone deficiency can also be treated with growth hormone but should not expect to grow taller.

Being short isn’t usually a problem for children and doesn’t keep them from having a normal, happy life. It is usually parents who place undue pressure on their children.

If you feel your child is short, take him to your pediatrician to make sure no medical condition exists that can be the cause.

Make sure your child gets enough food, eats a healthy diet and does plenty of physical activity. This can help develop their bones and muscles.

Help your child feel good about him or herself. Try to point out your child’s strengths and not focus on his or her height.

After years of jumping on New Year’s Eve, I have long accepted that I am not going to get any taller. And that’s okay.