Growth Awareness Day is a worldwide event which aims to raise awareness of child growth rates and the importance it has to their overall health. Growth Awareness Day takes place annually on the 20th September and is organised by the International Coalition of Organisations Supporting Endocrine Patients (ICOSEP) – an international child growth charity. Also in the US, The Magic Foundation celebrates a week dedicated to growth awareness between the 19th—25th September every year.
Children’s growth rates act as a critical sign of their health, yet they are often overlooked and are simply put down to the child waiting for a growth spurt. Many people still see growth as only a cosmetic concern. However, it is more than height, it’s health! Growth is an important indicator of a child’s overall health and well-being. Poor growth can be the first sign of an underlying medical condition which may also affect the brain development, cardiovascular health, lungs, bones, immune system, hearing, and eyesight. Regular growth checks are crucial to determine larger health issues!
Growth Awareness Day is about educating parents on the importance of keeping track of their child’s growth rate as there are many health issues poor growth could be related to, including; Turner syndrome, Hypothyroidism and Constitutional delay of growth and puberty. You can read more on other syndromes and growth-related health issues here in our types of growth disorder section.
Each year we aim to bring awareness to the public, especially parents about the importance of annual growth checks for children. Together with ICOSEP we bring the message to parents that Good Growth = Good Health.
At More Than Height, we have developed the online growth calculator, designed specifically to help keep track of a child’s growth. Simply input each parents’ height along with the child’s age and measurements to see their results compared to the national average. This lets parents see if their child’s growth is within a healthy range and if there is any cause for concern.
Calculate your child’s growth
It is important to keep track of your child’s growth in order to identify if there is a problem early on. Check if your baby is growing as expected with our easy to use growth calculator.