Abstract Background Short stature is defined as height below 2 standard deviations of the population with the same age, gender. This study is aimed to assess the characteristics of body composition in preschool children with short stature. Methods Anthropometric measurements and body composition were assessed in 68 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old with short stature and 68 normal controls matched on age and gender. Height, weight and body composition (total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents) in the two groups were measured and compared. Results The total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents were lower in preschool children with short stature than controls (P
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