Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Factory pollutants afffecting growth?

7 replies

Withaddedlint · 10/09/2023 23:05

I come from a family of very tall people. 6’7 man and 5’10 female. My dh has a mix of very tall or very short - no in between. My ds’s, both as children, appeared to be following the body types of my family however they never had that “big growth spurt “ that I read so often in secondary. My ds1, 17 is only 5 foot 8 Growing beard hair and my ds2 is 15 and only 5’7 he has a moustache and about three beard hairs. How can this be? They’ve always been given a fantastic balanced diet. Their dad is 6ft and I am 5,6. How can they be shorter than their father? . It’s really frustrating me. I wonder if it is due to the factory polluting the air down the road. There is often a funny smell. I have noticed other chikdren in the area are also short. My family and dh family don’t live near by. At family gatherings the difference is stark. Ds1 was on 99 centile as a child and ds2 75 and they are both now on 50th. I don’t know why I can’t accept this - it feels it’s my fault for their stunted growth and it upsets me a lot . I need to know why. Is there any private test I can do that will prove that they are fine it is just nature or idk. My ds2 is asking why he isn’t growing and I honestly don’t know I really thought he would he is lean and eats well. I said it doesn’t matter what height they are but it’s hard when there are girls on both sides of our families who are much taller. I feel there is something at play here. I would especially love to hear from health professionals or anyone with similar experience. Thank you

OP posts:
Withaddedlint · 10/09/2023 23:07

Just to add, the very short on dh side - both parents are also very short

OP posts:
Withaddedlint · 10/09/2023 23:08

What bothers me most is they are shorter than their dad and i can’t understand that at all :(

OP posts:
Fleur02 · 10/09/2023 23:51

You are disappointed that your son is around the average height for men in the U.K.?

Why?

Fleur02 · 10/09/2023 23:54

On thé specific question about the factory; living close enough to a factory that smells implies a very low-income household, which is often associated with a poor diet, which would generally have the largest affect on someone’s adult height (after genetic factors.) Have your children always had a good diet, with plenty of fresh protein, fresh fruit and vegetables etc?

Boomboom22 · 10/09/2023 23:54

You've given the answer. Generally for boys halfway between parents plus an inch or two but in your husbands family are some very short people. Tada, genetics.

Fleur02 · 10/09/2023 23:56

Boomboom22 · 10/09/2023 23:54

You've given the answer. Generally for boys halfway between parents plus an inch or two but in your husbands family are some very short people. Tada, genetics.

I agree. The idea that they should be taller than their tall father is bizarre. That’s not how it works, height is definitely hereditary, but not to the extent that each generation is always taller than the tallest parent in the next one.

This article may help the OP to understand.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-of-human-height/

Turquoisa80 · 11/09/2023 09:12

It's probably genetics in general but I think soil erosion is causing lack of nutrients in soil and affecting health. Also increased antibiotics/hormones flushed into water supply might be other factors.. I'm finding that the son does get taller than their mothers but not always as tall as their dads

New posts on this thread. Refresh page