'Late' puberty, son very tiny at present - fresh update in post #1

[Laura Corin]

Saw the pediatrician yesterday. He examined Hobbes to check that he was going into puberty and was reassured that he was, but it was in the very, very early stages. He predicts that Hobbes will grow about 2" a year for the next few years, not finishing growing until he's about 18. He's a late/slow grower type. He's likely to reach between 5'5" and 5'10" (which we already knew, based on Husband's and my heights).

 

Anyway, he doesn't think there is anything to worry about. I'll measure Hobbes every six months (which I do anyway) just to make sure that the expected growth is happening as puberty kicks in, and get back to the doctor if not.

 

Thanks for all advice.

 

 

Hobbes has always been on the small side: height and weight both at the 40th centile. His dad is 5'6"; I'm 5'4".

 

I went to the school concert last night and, seeing him in the choir, realised just how tiny he currently is - he's the smallest boy in his year by almost a head. I casually wondered how much he weighed when he was showering last night and he came out to height and weight both around 15th centile on the UK charts (4'9" and 73 pounds). Obviously, he has dropped off his usual line. On the other hand, he is only just starting to enter puberty, so I assume that there's a growth spurt about to happen.

 

My instinct is to take him to the doctor just to be sure - we don't have regular check ups, so this would be a distinct appointment - but I don't want to stress his height too much: he's unlikely ever to be very tall (unlike Calvin who is expressing a different set of genes) and is sensitive about it.

 

I was thinking of setting up a phone appointment with the doctor to talk it through without Hobbes' knowledge, but I'm sure the doctor will want to see him.

 

What would you do? Hobbes is active, healthy and eats very well.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[GSOchristie]

My middle son is tiny, he's 3 yrs and 7 mon and is barely 36" and 32 pounds. He is is wearing 24 mon/2 T clothes. Like you, my dh and his family are small people. I am 5'6", but most of the people in my family are tiny, too. He is glaringly smaller than most other kids his age, by like almost a head. Our doctor is not concerned due to his genetics and the fact that he grows, no matter how slowly. He has also become sensitive to comments on his size :(. Yesterday in a play place dh said he was very upset when some slightly older kids were calling him a "little baby". I would call his ped and ask his opinion, he might reassure you over the phone.

[Ummto4]

Upon my insistence, my pediatrician ordered a bunch of lab tests and bone X-ray in addition to a physical check-up when my son was 8. The test turned out to be normal, but his bone age was behind (not even 6 years). So he just gets monitored for his weight and height every year, and so far, his growth rate is normal (i.e. 2.25 inches/year). He's still small though.

 

I would expect your GP to do at least the same - may be some physical check up + X-ray + lab test.

 

We're Asian, and while we're normal for Asian (hubby - at 5'7" is considered pretty tall), we're considered short here in the US. A couple of our relatives are short - men around 5'3" and women under 5" with small frames (aka light weight). Is your husband a Chinese, Laura ? If so, how tall are his relatives ? It could just be genes, you know.

[Laura Corin]

We're Asian, and while we're normal for Asian (hubby - at 5'7" is considered pretty tall), we're considered short here in the US. A couple of our relatives are short - men around 5'3" and women under 5" with small frames (aka light weight). Is your husband a Chinese, Laura ? If so, how tall are his relatives ? It could just be genes, you know.

 

 

No, he's a short white Texan and I'm an average white Brit. We met in Taiwan, which is the confusing part.

 

My FIL was about 5'9" and my BIL is 5'10". On his current growth line, Hobbes would be about the same height as Husband, which is fine. If he goes back to his previous growth line he would be about 5'9". But the data I have don't show growth along a line, however bumpy.

 

Laura

[catz]

My 12 year old boy is exactly that size. He's growing steadily and I'm not worried at all. I will take him in this spring for a well child visit. We know other kids his size and age. I think some kids just growth spurt later than others too.

[Laura Corin]

My 12 year old boy is exactly that size. He's growing steadily and I'm not worried at all. I will take him in this spring for a well child visit. We know other kids his size and age.

 

It's the 'growing steadily' bit that isn't happening. I normally measure the boys on both birthdays (the dates are roughly 6 months apart). I don't have the figures with me here, but I don't think he has grown for a year. So that's why he has fallen off his line. I haven't dug new trousers out for him in two years, I think.

 

Laura

[Ottakee]

I think it would be worth an appointment. Most likely a pediatric endocrinologist who is experienced in reading bone age scans (the local hospital x-ray tech is NOT) and can check hormone levels, etc. While he might just be small and growing normal and hit a late growth spurt, if it IS something, you need to address it sooner rather than later when it might be too late.

[Laura Corin]

I think it would be worth an appointment. Most likely a pediatric endocrinologist who is experienced in reading bone age scans (the local hospital x-ray tech is NOT) and can check hormone levels, etc. While he might just be small and growing normal and hit a late growth spurt, if it IS something, you need to address it sooner rather than later when it might be too late.

 

Thanks. I'll write down the dates and heights off our kitchen cupboard, so the doctor can see when he last grew. I'll set up a phone appointment first, so that I can let the doctor know that H is sensitive about his height; the doctor has been pretty good about this kind of thing in the past. He can refer us on.

 

Laura

[Cindy in FL.]

My son who turns 14 next week is only 4' 10" tall. Dh is 5' 8" on a good day and I'm 5' 4". There is height on both my parents' sides of the family but not so much on Dh's. His uncle was only 5' tall.

 

I am hoping for a growth spurt any time now. Dh didn't hit his until late in high school.

 

[speedmom4]

I just talked to our pediatrician about height/growth concerns for my younger son. He is 11 and is much much smaller than other children his age. We are all pretty short/small in my family and about half of the men are small in dh's family. Our pediatrician said that as long as the growth remains steady there is nothing to worry about. If the child has been on a certain percentage line on the growth chart and then drops that is when there is cause for concern. Since my son has remained at around the 3rd-5th percentile he isn't worried.

 

A friend's son did fall off the growth chart. They had testing done and found that he has growth hormone deficiency. He is still tiny but at least now he will be the height his body was meant to be.

 

I think it's worth getting checked out.

 

Elise in NC

[Onceuponatime]

I have a son who was in the 10th percentile or below since birth. This last year, his 13th, he grew faster than he has ever grown before. He started the year in size twelve and is now moving into size 16. I did not think it would ever happen, it is quite astounding. I don't think 12 is late for puberty in boys.

[dbmamaz]

my ex is 6'2 but he was only 4'10 in 9th grade. he grew 6 inches when he was in 11th grade. So his son has been very late going in to puberty. in 7th grade he had a friend who hit 6 foot, but my son still looked like a child. I'm 5'2 and he was still shorter than I am when we started homeschooling in 8th grade.

 

He is just finally maturing now - he'll be 17 in a few weeks. His voice changed within this past year, he has some slightly darker fuzz on his upper lip, and he grew close to an inch a month last summer. I think he's currently 5'9? I'm fairly certain he's not done growing yet.

 

If there are men with late puberty in your families, i wouldnt worry. if there arent - worth a check i guess.

[Alessandra]

I have a friend with a dd who is a bit shorter than her peers (but nothing startling). Her mother is taking her to a doctor for tests to rule out anything that might actually be wrong, as opposed to genetic. Not sure exactly what she mentioned, but I think it was thyroid or other endocrine types of things. But her situation is a bit different, as both her parents are rather tall.

 

It's difficult to answer a WWYD question. We have regular dr appts and dc love their doctor; plus we are U.S., so doctor-patient relationship may be a bit different. My gut says to tell Hobbes about calling/seeing doctor. First, because he already knows he's short. Second, because kids often seem to find out what we are trying to hide -- and any mystery/secrecy could possibly make Hobbes imagine some terrible outcome.

[JudoMom]

I think it's worth a doctor appointment. The doctor will either confirm that he's just a late bloomer, or the tests will show he's deficient in a growth hormone or there is some other medical reason that will need to be addressed. We've chosen to monitor our boys--I would hate for them to end up smaller than necessary because we missed that they needed medical intervention. FWIW, I'm 5'4", dh is 5'7", and ds13 is 76 pounds and 49" (ds12 is 73 pounds and a tad bit shorter).

[katilac]

I would most definitely go, particularly as he has not grown in some time. The phone call beforehand is a great idea, but I would resign myself to the fact that it is likely to be somewhat awkward and annoying to him. Might he prefer dad to go with him, if there is going to be lots of puberty talk, lol?

[Paige]

I would ask your DH what he recalls about his own size at that age if you think he takes after him. If your DS is similar to what your DH or MIL recall at that age, then I wouldn't be concerned. If he's following nobody's pattern- not your DH, FIL, or your own father, then I'd be more concerned.

 

He probably will hit that growth spurt any day. My DS (11) has been in the 25-30th percentiles his entire life up until this past year. He's now in the 10th-15th percentile for height and below the 5th for weight. He is super skinny and much smaller than the other kids I see his age. I'm not worried, however,and his doctor hasn't said anything. He eats well, is active, and my dad was super skinny until he was about 30. My dad and brother had their big surge in height late, so I expect DS will follow their pattern. He does not take after DH's family at all. DS is starting to have a growth spurt in height, so he may be getting back onto his curve there, but his weight is not catching up. I bet his weight will catch up after he quits growing in height.

[gardenmom5]

I'd get him checked. at worst, it will relieve your mind.

I've a friend who has adopted boys. one was very small. he grew, but slowly and was looking to be very tiny. she felt something was wrong, and pushed for testing. His level of growth hormone was very low, enough he was growing (barely), but far from normal levels.

 

My son doesnt' absorb nutrients well, and was on the small side. just starting him with a naturopath he absolutely sprouted.

[swimmermom3]

I think it's worth a doctor appointment. The doctor will either confirm that he's just a late bloomer, or the tests will show he's deficient in a growth hormone or there is some other medical reason that will need to be addressed. We've chosen to monitor our boys--I would hate for them to end up smaller than necessary because we missed that they needed medical intervention. FWIW, I'm 5'4", dh is 5'7", and ds13 is 76 pounds and 49" (ds12 is 73 pounds and a tad bit shorter).

 

 

Hey Laura!

 

I would go for the appointments as well. We did for both boys and it is what it is, but at least I have the peace of mind in knowing that we didn't miss doing something we could have.

 

Sailor Dude was 4"7" and 69 lbs on his 12th birthday, but he had just come off of swimming six days a week for several years. He turns 15 today and is 5'4" and 101 lbs. His older brother followed the same low growth curve and is 18 and 5'7". The guys are slight and always have been. Their pediatrician was told us that everyone has their own curve and as long as the guys stayed on their curves even if they are under the national average, all is well. They both had testing at different points when they fell off their curves.

 

My guys have adjusted, but it has not always been easy. This culture is hard on short and/or slight guys and in my experience some of the worst nastiness comes from the mothers of really big guys. Do I sound bitter about the year my oldest son played football? He also came home for school in 7th and 8th grade because of the teasing. He has since developed a sense of humor and is better equipped to deal with it. Sailor Dude has a quick wit and kids don't usually tangle with him twice.

 

:grouphug: Twelve is tough as the disparity in sizes really begins to show. Hopefully a growth spurt will soon be in order, although growth spurts here look like 2-3 inches to everyone else's 4-6 inches.

[Deb in NZ]

Both my ds didn't have growth spurts until age 15+. Ds#1 grew over 6" that year alone. None of my dc will ever be big as it just isn't in our family make-up, but the boys aim to get as big as dh, who at his peak was ~5'9". Ds#1 is still growing, but slower now. He can finally fit in size small (mens) clothing. Ds#2 is still shorter than his brother, but has bigger feet, so we anticipate that he'll eventually grow bigger than ds#1. Ds#2 was the smallest boy in the whole highschool when he started 2 years ago (age 13). I had to special order school uniforms in size 10 (boys). He's now in a size 14 & is taller than me (I'm almost 5'), but is still significantly smaller than his peers. Ds#1 went through bone xrays, etc. at age 7 & it was determined that his bones showed a that his growth was 2 years behind his age. As he was growing steady (at his own rate) & was hitting the important developmental milestones, we opted not to go the growth hormane route. Ds#2 has more or less followed the pattern we saw in ds#1, so we never had him tested. Dh says that he continued to grow into his early 20s, so most likely my boys have a bit more growing to do.

[mommymilkies]

I think it would be worth an appointment. Most likely a pediatric endocrinologist who is experienced in reading bone age scans (the local hospital x-ray tech is NOT) and can check hormone levels, etc. While he might just be small and growing normal and hit a late growth spurt, if it IS something, you need to address it sooner rather than later when it might be too late.

 

 

I agree. My dh was a late bloomer (~4'6" at 14), so they used that as an excuse for years with my 3rd child. Turns out her thyroid quit working 3 years before and her bone age scan was years behind. Your ds might just jump ahead late, but it is definitely worth a doctor visit. Just in case, kwim? Trust your mama instincts!

[Sisyphus]

I would definitely get it checked out, but i grew 4 inches at age 19 (a girl, too!) so don't discount the late growth spurt phenomenon. A stop in growth is worrisome, my kids are small (at 14, 5'4" and 120 pounds and at 11, 4'9 and 70 pounds) but always have followed a curve, it's just their own curve versus the norm. I am praying they get my late growth spurt, but minus the scoliosis I have as a result. (no one checks a 19 year old for scoliosis).

[Alice]

When kids that age are small:

1) Genetics. I cannot tell you the number of consults I have done for boys in the 10-13 year old age group with short fathers who are concerned that their son is short. The best predictor of adult height is parental height. There are always outliers “yes, but I have a brother who is really tall†but in general if a kid is within what we predict based on genetics we don’t worry too much. (Predicted height for a boy is Mother’s height + 6 inches added to Dad’s height and then divided by 2. Then 2 inches on either side of that is considered the “genetic potentialâ€. Obviously it’s a rough guide as 4 inches is a big difference in ultimate height, but it gives us an idea if someone is way off what is expected.)

 

2) Constitutional delay. This is the “late bloomerâ€. It is also very genetic. What makes you stop growing is puberty and most kids have their biggest growth spurt right before ending puberty. So someone who goes through puberty later will grow later (and sometimes more). I, for example, was the tallest girl in my 6th grade class, at 5’2â€. I’m still 5’2†and haven’t been the tallest anywhere in a long time. A bone age can give you an idea if it’s constitutional delay. If the bone age is delayed than there is “more growth potential†and it’s usually reassuring that it’s just constitutional delay and not something more concerning.

 

3) Other medical causes. Probably most commonly this is a growth hormone deficiency of some kind. Sometimes it might be other things (thyroid, celiac, other hormonal issues).

 

The one thing that is a bit concerning about your son’s story is that he has come down on the growth curve. It’s probably just a normal plateau which we see a lot but I think it’s worth at least getting him checked out to make sure it’s not something else that you can do something about.

[Incognito]

I have a family member who was found to have thyroid problems at about that age because of lack of growth. Once the problem was found, it was solved and they grew just fine again. I'd get it checked out - no harm in a few tests for peace of mind.

[StephanieZ]

Well, 15% seems solidly in the normal range, especially considering the height of his parents.

 

Boys can continue to grow for AGES, sometimes well into college, so you never REALLY know how tall he'll be until he stops growing! Sometimes the really tall boys can stop growing at 14 when they are medium (or small) stature, and the tiny boy might grow until he is 21, ending up quite tall. Growing up, there was a boy in my neighborhood who was always tiny, and then I heard that he grew until he was 21 and ended up over 6ft!

 

So, I wouldn't be terribly worried, but if you see HIS growth slowing down (did he used to be in a substantially higher %ile?), then I can see getting a checkup just in case. Do they just not do regular checkups where you live? If cost isn't a huge issue, I'd tend towards scheduling a well-child-check up to review vaccines, do bloodwork, and get an overall check up.

 

FWIW, i have read that the height growth tends to stop some certain point of puberty, so being him being later on puberty means he has had LESS of his growth-spurt-height gains yet, meaning he's got more inches coming his way. If he's already well into puberty and still really small, well, I guess that means he's more likely to be small as an adult.

 

I get your worries, for sure. My son is determined to be tall, lol, but we're not so sure it's in the cards, as dh and I are both right around 5'7-5'8, and ds has always been small-ish, but not tiny, generally around 50% on height, 15-20% on weight, but being so slim he LOOKS smaller than "all" the kids in many groups. We have lots of tall relatives (my 6'5 brother, dh's 6'+ brothers, etc), but dh and I are the smallest (of our respective genders) in our families. Looks to me like ds is sure to get 5'9 given his current height and development, but anything beyond that is total guess work, and he wants to be TALL (6'+). His sisters are munchkins (IMHO, lol, as our families are fairly tall. Our fully-grown dd16 is 5'5, so not really THAT small, but since she is also really slim (110#?), she looks Lilliputian to me! And our youngest is a true peanut.) He is always joking that he is going to be a professional basketball player, lol, and gets (sarcastically/joking) outraged when I tell him that's not likely in the cards for him. That's why I know all of that above, lol, as I've googled it a lot (when ds is not around!) trying to get the answers. Truth is, there is no answers, lol. We just have to wait and see. :)

[dangermom]

I do think it would be worth it to go see the doctor.

 

But if it helps, I know a boy who is 12.5 and tiny. He really doesn't seem to have grown much in the last year or so...but while he is the smallest in his age group, some of the other boys are not much bigger and are also still small and not looking very much like they're in puberty. I have every confidence that this kid will grow up to be as tall as his dad--I've seen it happen with other boys--but it might be a little while.

[Laura Corin]

 

The one thing that is a bit concerning about your son’s story is that he has come down on the growth curve. It’s probably just a normal plateau which we see a lot but I think it’s worth at least getting him checked out to make sure it’s not something else that you can do something about.

 

 

Yes, that's what concerns me. I have always assumed that he would be small - your figures put him at between 5'6" and 5'10" - but falling off the line is a bit worrying.

 

Laura

[Alice]

Yes, that's what concerns me. I have always assumed that he would be small - your figures put him at between 5'6" and 5'10" - but falling off the line is a bit worrying.

 

Laura

 

 

I think you’re right to get it checked out. But to reassure you a little we do see a lot of kids have a plateau where they just don’t grow for a year or so. We’ll get worried and do all sorts of tests, nothing will show up and then they will grow again just fine and nothing is wrong. In fact, that’s more common than those with any kind of medical issue. The tough part as a parent or doctor is that we can’t really tell those kids who are just plateauing from those who have some kind of treatable medical issue without doing some bloodwork.

[Laura Corin]

 

I think you’re right to get it checked out. But to reassure you a little we do see a lot of kids have a plateau where they just don’t grow for a year or so. We’ll get worried and do all sorts of tests, nothing will show up and then they will grow again just fine and nothing is wrong. In fact, that’s more common than those with any kind of medical issue. The tough part as a parent or doctor is that we can’t really tell those kids who are just plateauing from those who have some kind of treatable medical issue without doing some bloodwork.

 

 

Thanks again. I just replotted his height history - I have the best data as we've moved around a lot and changed doctors - and he's actually been comparatively shorter all along than I thought. His normal line is more like 25th centile on the UK charts (higher on the Hong Kong charts that he was issued with at birth) so dropping from that to UK 11th centile is not nearly so far. But I'll speak to the doctor just to be on the safe side, as he's been dropping off his previous line for about two years now.

 

Laura

[redsquirrel]

Well, my son is about to be 13. His birthday is in May. He has always been in the 5% for height and weight. When he was a baby he wasn't on the charts and I had to bring him in for weight checks etc. I am hardly 5' and his dad is 5' 10". We are both small boned in general. He went in for a check up recently and he has gone from the 5% of height to the 70%. I am not kidding! He went being a 12 year old in size 10 pants to being a 12 year old in size 14 pants. He is now 5' 2" (grandma measured him yesterday).

 

So, take him into the doctor because you are seeing him drop off. I think that is prudent. But be aware that 12 is not old for a growth spurt. Our Dr mentioned to me that having pubic hair is (at least for him) considered the first external sign of puberty. Yes, acne etc is also there, but it is the growth of pubic hair that means they are no longer physically a child. So, if that hasn't started yet he might not experiencing puberty. It is possible he is on the later side of the curve and will start growing soon.

 

I had been looking into and on average, boys have their fastest growth starting at 13.5 years of age and it lasts for approx 4.5 years. So, he has some time for things to ramp up.

[sassenach]

I think a phone call sounds perfectly reasonable.

 

I always think of a classmate from highschool when this subject comes up. He was always "little Ernie." When he graduated, he must have been about 5'4" and 100 pounds. Years later, we both moved to Florida and I heard he joined the coast guard. One day I'm watching the news about a dolphin rescue and I see little Ernie on the TV. I hardly recognized him, he was so huge. We got back in touch and he came to our house for Easter. He was 6'2" and probably 180lbs. He was about 24.

[Laura Corin]

I had been looking into and on average, boys have their fastest growth starting at 13.5 years of age and it lasts for approx 4.5 years. So, he has some time for things to ramp up.

 

That's good to know. At the back of my mind is Husband's memory of being roughly the same height as all of his friends before puberty, but then they shot up and he didn't. That was forty years ago, so he may not remember clearly.

 

Hobbes is 13 in May too, so the same age as your son. FWIW, Hobbes is a BIG personality, so I'm not at all concerned about his being 'normally short'.

 

Laura

[Mom-ninja.]

Listen to your mommy gut. If you have a nagging feeling then get him checked over. That's the golden rule for moms!

[Mom-ninja.]

My middle son is tiny, he's 3 yrs and 7 mon and is barely 36" and 32 pounds.

 

My 4 yr 4 month old ds is that size but weighs 2 lbs less. Make you feel better? I don't think you're ds is tiny. Not compared to my kid. :)

 

 

I'm 5ft 1 and DH is 5 ft 11. My older son seems to be taking after me height wise and is short. My younger son seems to be taking after DH and is average height (although below weight).

He sounds fine to me. You and your husband aren't super tall either. I actually ended up shorter than my mother, father, and sister. My grandmother is 4 ft 11 so compared to her I'm a giant.

 

Hey, this is me! I'm also 5'1" and dh is 6'0" and our oldest takes after me and our middle takes after dh. It's looking like the youngest is taking after me as well.

 

The one part we are different though is that I'm the tallest of my female relatives. My mom is 4'10", her mother is the same, and my sister is 5'. Well, that's what she claims but she's really like 1/4 inch shorter. :p So at 5'1" I'm a giant woman in my family! :D We won't talk about my little sister being more endowed than I am though. :rolleyes:

[TraceyS/FL]

For anyone looking for "Different" growth charts, here is a site that has some different ones:

 

http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/7/growth-charts

 

And some about normal growth:

 

http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/50.1214

 

 

I think just having it checked is a good idea since he has fallen off the curve. My brother did all of us growing after high school, like 7" worth I think. My boyfriend isn't tall (about 5'5"-6", although he swears it is 7"), and in talking to him about my daughters growth issues, he wonders why his parents never sought out anything for him. There are obviously other issues related to puberty that can impact it. I wouldn't think he was "late" though - i'm more concerned about the falling off. And, even if it turns out there is nothing, and it is his normal - you know he won't be 43 sitting there saying, "WHy didn't Mom and Dad get me checked out?!?!" :)

 

My oldest is 5'1" and "should" be 5'6-8" based on the endo's calculations. She NEVER had a puberty growth spurt - never. We have no idea at this point what might have caused that to happen, but she isn't going to get much more now at 17. SHe has scoliosis (not severe enough to be more than maybe an inch) and her growth plates have been closed since she was 15.

[fairfarmhand]

I don't think a check up is out of line. The doc may just draw some blood to ensure there are no thyroid or other issues. I would give the doc a call ahead of time, to make sure that you don't want him to make a big deal about his height so he will be self conscious of it.

[redsquirrel]

For anyone looking for "Different" growth charts, here is a site that has some different ones:

 

http://www.magicfoun...7/growth-charts

 

And some about normal growth:

 

http://www.magicfoun...ww/docs/50.1214

 

 

I think just having it checked is a good idea since he has fallen off the curve. My brother did all of us growing after high school, like 7" worth I think. My boyfriend isn't tall (about 5'5"-6", although he swears it is 7"), and in talking to him about my daughters growth issues, he wonders why his parents never sought out anything for him. There are obviously other issues related to puberty that can impact it. I wouldn't think he was "late" though - i'm more concerned about the falling off. And, even if it turns out there is nothing, and it is his normal - you know he won't be 43 sitting there saying, "WHy didn't Mom and Dad get me checked out?!?!" :)

 

My oldest is 5'1" and "should" be 5'6-8" based on the endo's calculations. She NEVER had a puberty growth spurt - never. We have no idea at this point what might have caused that to happen, but she isn't going to get much more now at 17. SHe has scoliosis (not severe enough to be more than maybe an inch) and her growth plates have been closed since she was 15.

 

 

Height is a weird thing. My brother was also on the shorter side (not that petite though) and grew a HUGE amount during his freshman year of college. I did not recognize him when he came home for Christmas. He is now over 6' tall. He got taller, broader, heavier boned, the whole thing. He grew so much it must have hurt. My mom is just thankful he did all that on the Uni food plan. We shudder to think how much he must have needed to eat, to grow and change that much in a short time.

 

OTOH, I am hardly 5" . I was always small and am the smallest in my family. No one is as short as I am. My son has always been in the 5% and it never made anyone think twice. We figured he would just be petite like me. So, for him to have this huge growth this year is quite a surprise. Who knows, he might hit average height for an adult man (5' 10") yet.

[TraceyS/FL]

My mom is just thankful he did all that on the Uni food plan. We shudder to think how much he must have needed to eat, to grow and change that much in a short time.

:lol:

 

 

OTOH, I am hardly 5" . I was always small and am the smallest in my family. No one is as short as I am. My son has always been in the 5% and it never made anyone think twice. We figured he would just be petite like me. So, for him to have this huge growth this year is quite a surprise. Who knows, he might hit average height for an adult man (5' 10") yet.

My middle one will be lucky to make it to 5' on her growth hormones. That is the goal - she is on track so far, we go back in April for her next check.

 

I noticed last night though that my 8yo must have hit a growth spurt - she is lurking just below the middle one. That is going to hurt in the next year when she passes her up (the middle will be 14 in June). She is the one I also expect to be taller than the oldest. I'm *sure* that will be my fault as only a 17 yo can blame.....

[TranquilMind]

Hobbes has always been on the small side: height and weight both at the 40th centile. His dad is 5'6"; I'm 5'4"; Husband's mother was under 5'.

 

I went to the school concert last night and, seeing him in the choir, realised just how tiny he currently is - he's the smallest boy in his year by almost a head. I casually wondered how much he weighed when he was showering last night and he came out to height and weight both around 15th centile on the UK charts (4'9" and 73 pounds). Obviously, he has dropped off his usual line. On the other hand, he is only just starting to enter puberty, so I assume that there's a growth spurt about to happen.

 

My instinct is to take him to the doctor just to be sure - we don't have regular check ups, so this would be a distinct appointment - but I don't want to stress his height too much: he's unlikely ever to be very tall (unlike Calvin who is expressing a different set of genes) and is sensitive about it.

 

I was thinking of setting up a phone appointment with the doctor to talk it through without Hobbes' knowledge, but I'm sure the doctor will want to see him.

 

What would you do? Hobbes is active, healthy and eats very well.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

 

Well, you are small people. He will probably not be very tall, as you say. He is just hitting puberty? When he does, he wil begin growing rapidly and eating and sleeping a whole lot. My son grew 8 inches in the last year and a half, I think it was.

 

My son just played hockeytoday with a smaller boy like your son today. They are the same birth year, and mine is nearly 6 feet, and the other boy is about 4' 6". Both are normal, and his mom is small like you. I'm not.

 

Last year, during the sports exam we do yearly, the doctor said they do a trajectory on each kid and see where they will end up (according to computer program). My daughter is only a half an inch shorter than he said she would be, and my son is still shooting up and will hit the 6'3", I think. Does your doctor do a similar trajectory for your kids? You can ask him where he thinks your son will end up.

 

I'm not sure the doctor can do much for his growth and seeing the doctor about that (unless this is what your son wants) might make him more self-conscious about it. I don't know.

[TranquilMind]

I think a phone call sounds perfectly reasonable.

 

I always think of a classmate from highschool when this subject comes up. He was always "little Ernie." When he graduated, he must have been about 5'4" and 100 pounds. Years later, we both moved to Florida and I heard he joined the coast guard. One day I'm watching the news about a dolphin rescue and I see little Ernie on the TV. I hardly recognized him, he was so huge. We got back in touch and he came to our house for Easter. He was 6'2" and probably 180lbs. He was about 24.

 

 

Wow, that's some late growth!

 

My husband was small in high school like that guy too. He is thankful that he got to average height in college but not 6'2"!

[ElisaWilliams]

Any advice welcome.  My son is 15 years 2 months and no sign of puberty.  We have had x Ray on hands and bloods and he is showing 0.1 testosterone which shows he is not starting puberty.  They have offered testosterone gel to try kick start it but this is making me very anxious could anyone help? my son is very conscious about this as 16 this year.

[Rosie_0801]

22 minutes ago, ElisaWilliams said:

Any advice welcome.  My son is 15 years 2 months and no sign of puberty.  We have had x Ray on hands and bloods and he is showing 0.1 testosterone which shows he is not starting puberty.  They have offered testosterone gel to try kick start it but this is making me very anxious could anyone help? my son is very conscious about this as 16 this year.

Please start your own thread. This one is ten years old.