How big is your 8 year old?

[Mrs Mungo]

Thanks everyone. I don't know if I feel better or worse. I just always worry about my kids. ARGH! I wish I wasn't a worry wart. I will be glad to go to the doctor and find out if she is concerned as well. I am curious to see where Emma is on the growth chart now compared to where she has been. She has always been below 25%.

 

My youngest will be 10 in April and I think he's smaller than any of the kids mentioned in this thread. He's been through extensive testing. So has my 12 year old who is smaller than most of the 8 year olds mentioned in the thread. They are both below the growth curve. Our eldest was always small until she suddenly grew and grew. She's now 5'6.5", which is taller than me or my dh.

[Parrothead]

Sheesh, I grow them freakishly large here. Dd at age 8 was in size 12 clothes. Now at 11.5 she is 5'3" 140lbs. Her friends are just about as tall though so she doesn't look funny when she is with other kids.

[Lovedtodeath]

Sheesh, I grow them freakishly large here. Dd at age 8 was in size 12 clothes. Now at 11.5 she is 5'3" 140lbs. Her friends are just about as tall though so she doesn't look funny when she is with other kids.

Thank you!

 

DD8 looks about the same size as the 12 year olds in our neighborhood.

[taffnus]

This is fun reading the responses...

 

My 7.5 yo dd is 49 lbs and 46 inches. She's always the shortest of her peers. My MIL is 4'10" so I figure she got the short genes. Not as much of an issue for girls as boys.

[Desert Rat]

My just turned 8yo boy is 4'3" and ways 85 lbs. He's a big kid! My dh and I are average or slightly under average heights. I don't know how we produced 2 giants!

[Jean in La]

My DD turned 8 this past November. She's 55 pounds and around 48" tall.

Her friend is a year older and about an inch shorter.

They all grow at different rates.:)

[Parrothead]

Thank you!

 

DD8 looks about the same size as the 12 year olds in our neighborhood.

I'm really dreading this first trip to the new pedi at the end of the month. Not so much the height since there is nothing that can be done about it. The weight on the other hand is something I'm sure will be mentioned. I don't have a clue though. She has 3 hours of dance a week, 1.5 hours karate, 1.5 hours tai chi and as much outside play as possible with this weather. As soon as it gets warmer we will be doing C25K together.

[Sarah CB]

My middle boys are small. One turns 9 at the end of the month and is 52 pounds. The other is almost 11 and weighs 62 pounds. They're both about four feet tall. Ds (nearly 11) is almost fitting into size 8 pants now. We have friends who have a six year old daughter who is taller than he is (ouch!).

 

However, dd is 5'9" :)

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I'm really dreading this first trip to the new pedi at the end of the month. Not so much the height since there is nothing that can be done about it. The weight on the other hand is something I'm sure will be mentioned. I don't have a clue though. She has 3 hours of dance a week, 1.5 hours karate, 1.5 hours tai chi and as much outside play as possible with this weather. As soon as it gets warmer we will be doing C25K together.

I wouldn't worry unless she eats a lot of junk or has symptoms of something like Thyroid problems. :) I haven't taken DD to a regular MD since she was 6 and "normal sized".

[StephanieZ]

My 8 yo is 44 lb and is about 48 inches. She's a peanut, always has been. But, she's healthy as a horse & as strong as an ox.

[kamom]

My dd was 49 inches tall at 8.5 yrs. We can't remember how much she weighed.

[Ottakee]

Simple blood work (thyroid, etc) and a bone age scan (read by a peds. endo, NOT the plain x-ray tech) would be very simple things.

 

My girls were tiny and still are. Come to find out 15dd had thyroid problems. She is done growing now at 4'10" and about 95 pounds---wears girls size 12 jeans (some 10s and a few 14s). Just try to find a 30B bra that is appropriate:glare:

 

The tests are simple to see if there is a thyroid or growth issue and if there is it is much better to treat it earlier, rather than later.

[Koerarmoca]

My dd turned 9 in Jan. She is around 42-44 pounds I don't remember her height but she is the shortest of her age group in church and such. She has medical condition that partly causes the stunted growth but she is very active, smart and seemingly healthy despite her condition. She was also born at 31 weeks so she had a small start. My 2 year old is also on the small side (she is below the 5th percentile) Doctors have had some concerns on both of their sizes but with no real developmental delays or anything neurological going on I don't fret too much. Dh's side of the family are all really tiny women and really big men.. I feel bad for his Mom who is 5ft and 95 pounds and he was an 11 pound baby :lol:

[RahRah]

Small kids usually go with small parents.

Tall/large kids usually go with tall/large parents.

Mine are tall. (So are we.)

 

Dd (who was 8 until last week) is 70 lbs and about 4'6". She has about 20 lbs and 6 inches on a friend she saw last night and they're only 3 months apart in age. So she's tall. But then, so are her parents. :tongue_smilie:

 

If this child is substantially smaller than her siblings and/or her parents, I'd talk to the doctor about it. Otherwise, it's normal. :001_smile:

8 year olds come in all shapes and sizes.

 

:iagree:

 

DH and I are both tall....DS, now 6-years 7-months old is 49" and 50-pounds. Our neighbor's girl whom he plays with now and then is 9-years old and 50" and 52-pounds - her parents are much shorter than we are though.

[ayden]

Just a guess on height, but my 8 year old daughter is around 50" tall and 50 lbs. However, my oldest daughter is very tiny and I'd say she was about your daughter's size at that age. She is 13 now and 58" and 70 lbs.

[Meriwether]

Dd7 (8 in a few months) is 52-53". I haven't weighed her in a bit, but she is around 60-65 pounds. She is usually the tallest in a group her age. I am 5'5 but Dh is 6'3 and my little brother is 6'6.

 

When she was three weeks old, I noticed her legs grow from one day to the next. After that day, she couldn't wear any 0-3 months clothes that were connected from foot to shoulder. She has been long legged ever since.

[Crissy]

My 8 year old (turned 8 in Dec) is 55 inches tall

 

I just looked at the boys' growth chart on the family room wall. My younger son was the same (55") at age 8. My older son was 54".

[bettyandbob]

My dd was tiny as a toddler. ped didn't think anything of it. I knew something was off. Dh and I are not big people, but we aren't tiny. Turned out she has celiac. She did not have vomiting or diarhea as her presenting symptom and she was not so small as to qualify for failure to thrive.

 

Trust your instincts, if you think something is off investigate the possible causes for slow growth and see if some of the symptoms match your dd. When I found out about celiac and looked it up the list of possible presenting symptoms I knew before I ran to the ped demanding a test. There are many causes for slow growth, another poster suggested growth hormone issues. If you think there is an issue you have to do the research yourself. My experience is you have to arm yourself with research and you can't always go with what the ped or specialist says.

 

It could also be that is just your dd's growth track. Just follow your instincts, whatever you decide. Good luck!

[iamrachelle]

My DS will be 8 next month. (Wow, where does the time go??)

 

He is a lightweight at 42 pounds and is about 46" tall.

[zaichiki]

She is done growing now at 4'10" and about 95 pounds---wears girls size 12 jeans (some 10s and a few 14s). Just try to find a 30B bra that is appropriate:glare:

 

There are LOTS of Asian women who are that tiny. (I've seen them for YEARS.) I had an aunt who was just under 5 feet and very thin. There have GOT to be underwear choices out there!

[Supertechmom]

My dd was tiny as a toddler. ped didn't think anything of it. I knew something was off. Dh and I are not big people, but we aren't tiny. Turned out she has celiac. She did not have vomiting or diarhea as her presenting symptom and she was not so small as to qualify for failure to thrive.

 

Trust your instincts, if you think something is off investigate the possible causes for slow growth and see if some of the symptoms match your dd. When I found out about celiac and looked it up the list of possible presenting symptoms I knew before I ran to the ped demanding a test. There are many causes for slow growth, another poster suggested growth hormone issues. If you think there is an issue you have to do the research yourself. My experience is you have to arm yourself with research and you can't always go with what the ped or specialist says.

 

It could also be that is just your dd's growth track. Just follow your instincts, whatever you decide. Good luck!

 

:iagree: Same thing with my oldest. He dropped from 90% to 10% and I was told "Not all could be the big kid in class". :001_huh: Well DUH! I just wanted him to stay on the same curve. 2 kids later, one was dx failure to thrive and Celiac was discovered. Oldest scored higher on the blood work than that child. His height shot up 3 inches off the diet and has been on a steady VISIBLE growth ever since. He may never be as tall as he should have been but he's at least going to hit 5'6 instead of maybe 5 feet. (At two he should have been around 6 ft as an adult.) Listen to your gut. If you feel it is wrong, upend every stone no matter how stupid or weird or crazy people think you are. It took 9 years and one really sick baby to get a dx on my oldest. :glare:

[DawnM]

My 7 year old is 49" tall and about 55-60 pounds???? He is solid muscle!

 

Dawn

[SABE]

My 8.5 year old son is around 56 pounds and 54 inches.

[Ottakee]

There are LOTS of Asian women who are that tiny. (I've seen them for YEARS.) I had an aunt who was just under 5 feet and very thin. There have GOT to be underwear choices out there!

 

Part of the problem might be that we live in a VERY tall and big area---seriously, our doctor said the average kid that comes in to the office is in the 75+%. We have many women in our church at 6', men well in to the 6' range and one over 7'. That makes my VERY tiny daughter really stick out.

 

I will have to hunt more for undergarments though as I am sure we can find some. Most stores though start with a 34 band size in women's and only go to an A cup in the teen/girls section.

[JeneralMom]

:iagree: Same thing with my oldest. He dropped from 90% to 10% and I was told "Not all could be the big kid in class". :001_huh: Well DUH! I just wanted him to stay on the same curve. 2 kids later, one was dx failure to thrive and Celiac was discovered. Oldest scored higher on the blood work than that child. His height shot up 3 inches off the diet and has been on a steady VISIBLE growth ever since. He may never be as tall as he should have been but he's at least going to hit 5'6 instead of maybe 5 feet. (At two he should have been around 6 ft as an adult.) Listen to your gut. If you feel it is wrong, upend every stone no matter how stupid or weird or crazy people think you are. It took 9 years and one really sick baby to get a dx on my oldest. :glare:

 

I had a similar experience with DD4 - born 4 weeks early but weighed 6lbs10oz, and then when she started eating fell to the 10th percentile and kept falling. I was diagnosed as gluten intolerant in October (I won't bother doing the Celiac testing) and the doctor mentioned that alot of her symptoms pointed to it also, so we both went gluten free. She has finally started growing again, her hair has stopped falling out, and her digestive system is balancing out. I doubt she will ever get very tall and her 2 yo sister almost weighs the same and is only a few inches shorter.

[Lovedtodeath]

Here are the growth charts.

 

Boys Stature-for-age and Weight-for-ageColor Press-ready [PDF - 250 KB]

 

Girls Stature-for-age and Weight-for-age Color Press-Ready [PDF - 488 KB]

 

 

My DD is 90% for height and 97% for weight. She pretty much always has been.

[Pretty in Pink]

My 7.5 year old is two inches taller than his 5 year old brother and weighs 45 lbs, while my 5yo weighs 43 lbs. They share clothes. He still rides in a 5 pt. harness carseat. He is smaller than many boys his age, but his doctors are satisfied with his growth. I think he is right around the 50th percentile on height, probably lower on weight, but we are all quite thin.

[AngieW in Texas]

oldest was 47.5" at 8yo, fully grown now at 5'3.5"

middle was 46.5" at 8yo, fully grown now at 5'0.5"

youngest was 48.25" at 8yo, still growing at 5'1" and expected to get to 5'4"-5'5"

 

If it helps any, I am 5'1.5" and my dh is 5'7". There are lots of 4'11" women on both sides of the family.

[Nakia]

Here are the growth charts.

 

Boys Stature-for-age and Weight-for-ageColor Press-ready [PDF - 250 KB]

 

Girls Stature-for-age and Weight-for-age Color Press-Ready [PDF - 488 KB]

 

 

My DD is 90% for height and 97% for weight. She pretty much always has been.

 

According to that chart, Emma is around 3% for height and off the bottom of the chart for weight. She has always been 25% for both in the past. I guess it's good we are going in for a check-up next week so I can talk to our ped about it.

[abbeyej]

Look up "Constitutional Growth Delay" and see if the pattern fits your dd. That's the diagnosis for mine. She was born at a hefty weight, but by a year, she was quite small. She stayed very petite, but on the charts (around 10th percentile) 'til she was 3. Between 3 and 5 she completely fell off the charts. She started growing again between 5 and 6 and maintains at about the 3rd percentile (sometimes a little above, sometimes a little below, but the overall curve is there).

 

BUT, at just before 5 and just before 7 we had her "bone age" estimated (it's a quick wrist x-ray that's then read by an experienced pediatric radiologist). Her bones match those of a child about 2.5 years younger than her chronological age. This is *good*. Because if we go back and chart her physical growth as if she were 2 years younger, she's on an excellent curve. It means she will likely hit puberty 2-4 years after her peers, and while she is unlikely to be tall, she will hit an average-petite height by her mid-to-late teens.

 

In the meantime, dd is *always* the smallest one everywhere she goes. It means I've had to step in a number of times and remind other children that she is not a *doll*. That they need to ask if they want to carry her around and respect her wishes if she wants to be put down. (Yes, I coach dd on saying these things too -- but even so, there've been times when I've needed to step in or have needed to ask a teacher in a class to keep an eye out for this.)

 

She also gets treated as if she is younger and less competent by adults from time to time, and they frequently say, "Oh, and how old are you? Are you in Kindergarten?" "No, I'm eight." And then the adults fall over. (Tall kids get the same thing, but in reverse of course.)

 

If I were you, I WOULD bring it up with her pediatrician. A bone age x-ray is an easy, easy thing to do. And if it matches her physical age, you WANT to know that. Because then there probably *is* an issue, and you want to know that.

 

Most likely, she's like my dd. CGD is a fancy name for "late bloomer" (physically). And that's just a normal variation, not a pathology. ... But if there is an underlying medical concern (and there are many it could be, even though it's probably none of them) that's preventing her from growing, you want to know now.

 

Dd has definitely grown more this year. She'll be 9 on Monday, and she's outgrowing some of her size 6 blue jeans. ;) These are jeans I bought less than a year ago! She has *never* outgrown a size in so little time!

 

Anyway, your dd certainly isn't alone.

 

Oh, and *if* there's no underlying condition, there are some things you can do that might help. Supplementing with iron and zinc and also having her do physical exercise in short but truly *strenuous* (panting) bursts have been shown to make a difference in growth for kids like ours...

[abbeyej]

According to that chart, Emma is around 3% for height and off the bottom of the chart for weight. She has always been 25% for both in the past. I guess it's good we are going in for a check-up next week so I can talk to our ped about it.

 

Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you checked and she was near the 25th percentile? Do you have her height over time recorded anywhere so you can go back and mark it on one of the CDC growth charts?

 

I would be a little more concerned if you've seen a sudden and precipitous drop on the chart... But if the last time she was at 25th percentile was at 3yo, not so much...

[Nakia]

Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you checked and she was near the 25th percentile? Do you have her height over time recorded anywhere so you can go back and mark it on one of the CDC growth charts?

 

I would be a little more concerned if you've seen a sudden and precipitous drop on the chart... But if the last time she was at 25th percentile was at 3yo, not so much...

 

I'm not 100% sure. I think I took her in for a check-up two years ago. I don't take them every year. I am taking her in to the pediatrican on Tuesday for her 8 year old check, and our ped always shows us the growth charts, so hopefully I will know more then. Thank you so much for all the information above!!

[mom31257]

My son will be 8 in May. He is almost 52" and weighs 56 pounds.

[v-girl]

My younger son progressed like your daughter in growth. It turned out he was growth hormone deficient. The endocrinologist said he was producing about 5% of the required growth hormone needed. And it's not just about height. When you are growth hormone deficient, you are at a very high risk for brittle bone disease. With growth hormone therapy (shots daily for 8-9 years), he is now 5'10", and there is no longer a risk for bone issues. The end. said he'd likely have only reached 4'5 without.

 

We started shots this month for my 12 year old. 4'8.75" -- she'll be 13 in June. My middle child has always been small (except for birth). She's 11 and 4'6". We actually noticed our oldest had quit growing because her sister was catching up with her.

 

We aren't worried about the middle kid because she continues to grow, she's just on the small side.

[mama2cntrykids]

Mine (ds) is about 70 lb and 4'6". Most ppl assume he's 10 b/c of his size. I can tell by this thread that he has *nothing* on some other 8 y/o lolol.

[Denisemomof4]

dd8 is 49 inches tall and weighs around 77 pounds. :svengo: She's HUGE for a Chinese girl.

 

dd11, OTOH, is going to be like her brothers, mother and father: TALL. Dh is 6'2, I'm 5;9.5, dd11 is 5'1 but weighs 83 pounds. I don't know where she hides that 83# - she is SO TEENY TINY. Her legs look like flamingo legs!:lol: She eats like a horse. She only has one pound to gain and then all the weight she lost when she was sick will be back on. :hurray:

[Angjune]

It's true that a lot depends on the size of the parents... my 14 year old just wants to make it to 5'0. She just went thru a bit of a growth spurt and is now 4'10" and 82 lbs. The doc said my kids might just have a constitutional growth delay.

 

Or, they'll just be smaller than the norm..