Symptoms of developmental delay in boys

Every parent hopes that their children grow up tall and strong and develop normally. However, since everyone's physique is different, the development of the body will also vary greatly. Especially for boys, their development is relatively slow before the age of ten, but they will start to catch up after the age of ten. This is a normal phenomenon. So what are the symptoms if a boy has developmental delay? What are the dangers of developmental delay in boys?

Growth retardation refers to a slowdown or cessation in growth and development, with an incidence rate of 6-8%. Currently, it is believed that the causes of growth retardation are: ① Genetic factors: it can manifest as familial short stature; ② Maternal factors: the nutrition, mood, drugs, radiation received, environment, etc. of pregnant women can have a great impact on the growth and development of the fetus; ③ Nutrition and distribution: Adequate nutrition supply and balanced nutrients for children play an important role in growth and development; ④ Chronic diseases: such as chronic infection, chronic liver disease, malnutrition, congenital heart disease, congenital renal tubular disease, etc. can lead to growth retardation in children; ⑤ Endocrine diseases: such as hypothyroidism, pituitary dwarfism, Turner syndrome, etc.

Clinically, growth retardation is mainly manifested by short stature, which may or may not be accompanied by intellectual disability and underdeveloped secondary sexual characteristics. For growth retardation caused by endocrine diseases, the symptoms and treatment plans may be different. For example, ① hypothyroidism: it can cause children to be short, sometimes with disproportionate limbs, slow tooth development, and intellectual disabilities. For adolescents, they may also experience hoarseness, seldom talk, facial edema, enlarged thyroid, hair loss, dry skin, slow pulse, weight gain, and drowsiness. A clear diagnosis can be made by checking thyroid function, and symptoms can be significantly improved by timely supplementation of thyroid hormone. ② Pituitary dwarfism: This type of patients have significantly lower growth hormone levels. Nearly 80% of patients are diagnosed with "idiopathic growth hormone deficiency dwarfism" for unknown reasons. It may also be secondary to hypothalamic-pituitary tumors, such as craniopharyngioma, neurofibroma, or intracranial infection. Patients may be born with normal height and weight, but their body growth slows down after a few months. They often differ significantly from children of the same age after 2-3 years old. Their growth rate is extremely slow, but their body shape is generally symmetrical. They do not exceed 130 cm in height after adulthood, have normal intelligence, underdeveloped sexual organs, and absent secondary sexual characteristics. The application of human growth hormone replacement therapy can be effective in 80% of patients. For patients with secondary pituitary dwarfism, such as intracranial tumors, surgical treatment can be performed. ③ Turner syndrome: Due to the lack of an x ​​chromosome, it is also called congenital ovarian dysgenesis syndrome. The main symptoms are short stature, generally not exceeding 150 cm, which may be accompanied by mild intellectual disability, amenorrhea, special facial features, and underdeveloped secondary sexual characteristics.

During the development of children, parents need to pay close attention to their children's development, such as intelligence, height, weight, secondary sexual characteristics, etc., to identify problems in a timely manner and seek medical treatment in a timely manner.