Growth Tips

Parents like you may wonder how to support healthy growth in your kids, help them reach their growth potential, or even get taller fast. We asked a medical expert with decades of clinical experience caring for babies in the NICU, and a deep understanding of infant and child health to share the best tips from their years of experience.

The first few months of your baby's life are a period of rapid growth and development, and proper nutrition plays a...

Parents like you want the best nutrition to support their toddler’s growth, brain development, and optimal health. Getting all the vitamins and nutrients kids need from a well-balanced diet and healthy foods is always ideal. However, getting toddlers to eat enough nutritious foods like fatty fish, vegetables, legumes, and protein, can be easier said than done, especially if you have a picky eater or a child with food allergies.

Teens need plenty of vitamins and minerals for maximum growth and development, but they don’t always get enough through their food. A healthy diet is crucial in providing necessary nutrients. But sometimes, due to food allergies, picky eating habits, or certain medical conditions, children don’t get all the key nutrients they need. This can lead to a weakened immune function, developmental issues, or even problems with their brain health.

All children grow, but some don't seem to get taller as fast as they should. While only about one in every 4,000 to 10,000 children have a true growth hormone deficiency, about 22 percent of children under age 5 worldwide experience stunted growth.

The genes passed down from our parents help determine our height, and some kids can be tall or short for their age. But how do you know the difference between “on the short side” and true stunted growth? And what stunts growth?

The number of vegetarians is growing each year, reaching up to 22% of the world's population [1]. While adopting a vegetarian lifestyle can be healthy and environment-friendly, teenagers may face nutrient deficiencies that affect their growth when their diet excludes animal-based food sources [2].

Approximately 49% of Americans—including teenagers with limited diets—do not consume enough calcium, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This deficiency has resulted in poor bone health and stunted height in early childhood and adolescence [1].

Millions of households face one common problem: Kids’ stunted growth due to lack of nutrients.