A study carried out for Novo Nordisk reveals that the parents of little girls are much less attentive to the growth of their children than the parents of boys. Size therefore remains a major concern only when it comes to boys.
Certain physical criteria are still well anchored in the minds of parents. Thus, a boy should ideally be tall to later become a worthy man. But the size of the girls does not seem to worry their parents too much! A study conducted by Unknowns and Kantar for Novo Nordisk and revealed on October 11 on the occasion of International Girls’ Day shows, in fact, that only 41% of children treated for growth disorders are girls, whereas these problems concern both sexes equally.
A boy who is small is worrying. A girl who is small, is it… cute?
A survey shows strong inequalities between girls and boys in parental monitoring of their children’s growth.
Stereotypes die hard https://t.co/r7yOI8K9UL
— The Parisian | Sentinels (@sentinels) October 11, 2022
However, Novo Nordisk recalls that more than 200 pathologies can cause growth retardation such as Noonan syndrome, the deficiency in growth hormone (GHD) or Turner syndrome (TS). On the other hand, a sudden stoppage of growth can be a sign of several diseases and must therefore be subject to medical monitoring. This study shows that good growth in a boy corresponds in the minds of parents to a substantial height, whereas girls must above all grow without getting fat.
Preconceived ideas against which the Grandir association is fighting. ” We have been alerted to this discrimination for years: parents are indeed more attentive to the height of their boys. However, a child who grows well is a sign of good health.“, explains its president Béatrice Demaret to the Parisian.
+ 5 centimeters in 80 years
However, girls are also growing more and more, as shown by the reference growth curves updated in 2018. For example, a 10-year-old girl now measures 1.39m on average when she was 5 centimeters less in 1950! Like boys, girls should be monitored not only for their height, but also for their weight, head circumference and their body mass index.
“It is of course necessary to sensitize the parents who sometimes consult very late when the growth cartilages are almost solidified, at 12-13 years for example, but also the health professionals who do not always fill in the health record correctly. When a problem is spotted, you need to be able to go back in time to find out how the growth has gone so far“, advises Béatrice Demaret, still in the Parisian. In France, only half of parents measure their child every year, and only 25% systematically note the size in the health record. Insufficient percentages which worry health professionals and associations in favor of children.