Doctor Truong Hong Son, director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, revealed this information at a seminar on vitamin K2 and D3 to support children's height growth in Hanoi on 20/6. The event brought together experts and doctors to discuss the latest recommendations regarding essential vitamins for height growth.

The average height for Vietnamese men is now 168.1 cm and for women, 156.2 cm. Compared to 10 years ago, young men have grown by 3.7 cm, while young women have grown by 2.6 cm. Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnamese people are shorter than those in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. A decade ago, Vietnamese people were among the shortest in the region, only slightly taller than Indonesians and Filipinos.

According to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration's global height chart, Vietnam ranks 153rd out of 201 countries/territories worldwide. With the global average male height at approximately 171 cm, Vietnamese men are about 3 cm shorter.

"Vietnamese height has seen changes in recent years, but the increase remains slow, and we are still among the shortest in the world," said Dr. Son. He pointed to several reasons for this slow growth, including fetal and early childhood malnutrition, a persistently high rate of stunting and underweight children, and deficiencies in micronutrients essential for height development such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, D, and K2.

Dr. Son explained that genetics accounts for about 23% of a child's height, but nutrition contributes up to 32% of a child's development. To close the height gap between Vietnamese people and other countries, in addition to genetics, parents need to focus on nutrition, exercise, and sleep for their children.

A person's height is most influenced during the first 1,000 days of life – encompassing nine months of pregnancy and the first two years of life – as well as during the pre-school and puberty stages, according to Dr. Son. During pregnancy, a child grows from zero to 50 cm in just nine months, the fastest period of height development. In the first year after birth, a child's height increases by an average of 25 cm. In the second year, they grow another 12.5 cm.

By the end of the first 1,000 days, a child can reach 50% of their adult height. If they do not receive enough essential micronutrients during this period, it becomes difficult to fully catch up in subsequent years. After this stage, the rate of height growth decreases, with only one significant growth spurt during puberty before slowing down and stopping around the age of 19.

Doctor Truong Hong Son presenting at the seminar. Photo: Le Nga

Doctor Truong Hong Son presenting at the seminar. Photo: Le Nga

Accelerated height growth is the result of early, long-term, and sustainable intervention. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to nutrition and supplement vitamins to help children grow well. In addition to proper sun exposure, it's important to supplement vitamin D through daily diet and supplements. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, and a deficiency can lead to rickets in children.

Besides vitamin D, vitamin K2 is also crucial for bone development and calcium metabolism. The combination of vitamins K2 and D3 can support calcium absorption into bones, increase bone density, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, and reduce calcium deposits in blood vessels and soft tissues, thereby improving height growth in children.

The older children get, the higher the rate of vitamin K2 deficiency. Therefore, Dr. Son recommends including vitamin K2 supplementation, especially in combination with vitamin D3, in community nutrition programs and children's healthcare policies. This aims to support improved bone density, optimize height development, and prevent rickets during growth.

Vitamin D is abundant in foods such as: fish oil, liver, egg yolks, butter, and milk. Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods such as cheese and especially natto (Japanese fermented soybeans). Chicken and eel also contain vitamin K2.

Le Nga