Q: I am a premature baby born on sept 1993, wt is 22 kg and ht is 38 inch and my milky teeth had fallen before 3 months but permenant teeth still not came. How to increase my weight and height and what should I do for my teeth to grow.

A:You are grossly short for your age. The short stature may be partly due to the prematurity as stated by you, associated problems your mother had during pregnancy, problems you had immediately after delivery and the first few months, undernutrition, disorders of absorption and digestion of food, hormonal deficiencies or a problem affecting a major organ of your body (e.g.,liver, heart or kidney) or a combination of these. In the absence of clinical and laboratory parameters regarding these aspects, it is difficult to suggest a cause and advice a remedy. The fact that the you have lost your primary teeth late and that the secondary teeth have not erupted even by 8 1/2 years suggests malnutrition or hormonal deficiencies are the most likely cause. It is essential that you consult a child specialist who can examine you and tell you whether you have signs and symptoms of a major organ disease. With a battery of selected tests, it is possible to pinpoint the cause and advise treatment.