Q: My daughter is 10.5 years old weighing 22 kg and 130 cm tall. We are keen that she attains a minimum height of 5 feet 6 inches by 18 years of age. I am 5 feet 2 inches tall and my husband is 5 feet 10 inches tall. How can my daughter gain height?

A:Your daughter is just at the threshold of puberty. That means she shall shortly experience / shall already be experiencing her pubertal growth spurt. Her final stature shall be achieved over the next few years. There is no magic formula for a child to reach a specific height. That is determined by her genes! All you can and should do is to ensure an optimal nutrition for your child at this stage. That means a balanced diet consisting of cereals, pulses, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and eggs if you are a non-vegetarian (these are not essential, vegetarian diet is as good) and a generous intake of milk and milk products. The last is important because at this stage a good amount of calcium is needed for bone growth. Some form of physical exercise in form of sports can help, too. This shall ensure that the environment is conductive to her achieving her optimal potential.