Growth question about 11yo girl

[TravelingChris]

My 11 3/4 yo daughter was always above average in height by a bit. From birth she ranged from 55% to 65% in height. In the last year, she has fallen to 36%. Basically she has almost stopped growing taller. She is very short right now 4'10". She has not stopped her development and her body looks like the right size for her age but she is incredibly short. Both my dh and I are in the 80% of height. My other older children are ds slightly taller than average, and dd 15, about average. The doctor listened to my concerns in June and ordered thyroid tests, celiac blood test, vitamin d tests, and a few others. All came back normal. She has not started her monthlies yet. Any thoughts or experiences?

[Lolly]

I've watched many girls do exactly as your dd is doing. One being my first dd. When she gets right about the time of menses, she will likely begin to grow a lot. She'll jump back to her normal percentile then. She has only dropped because most of the other girls have hit that pubescent jump in growth already. Some girls don't until they are about 14. One of my dd's was below 5% at 2, 95% at 6, at 10 50%, at 12 10%, at 15 50%. Another was 50% at 2, 75% at 10, 30% at 12, and is above 95% at 14. The first started menses right before her 14th birthday, the second somewhere between 13-14. My other dd was around 30% at 2, 45% at 10, 45% at 12, and is 45% at 14. She was more average in her growth pattern and hit menses right before her 12th birthday. A friend has a dd who was 95% at 2, 95% at 10, 50% at 12, and at 14 is now at about 95%. This child still hasn't started menses yet. Of course, looking at her parents, it is easy to see that she will most likely be over 6ft tall and still has a lot of growing to do. Another friend has a dd who was 50% at 2, 95% at 10, 50% at 12, and is 45 % at 14. She started menses at a young 10.

 

All you are seeing is a pattern of growth. Your dd will probably start growing soon. It will be when those hormones really start coming on.

[TraceyS/FL]

I can only say that my DD's Ped Endo said they discovered A LOT of growth issues at times when girls should have been entering puberty. And, by that time it was too late to help.

 

You might find some info to help you here on pushing for a Growth Workup or not:

http://www.magicfoundation.org/www

 

And the link to "what is normal growth"

http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/11.1025/normal-child--s-growth.html

 

The normal guage is 2 deviations off - which varies per age, probably for her they'd want her Bone Age Xray (just an xray of her hand) to show 2 years younger than her actual age.

 

BUT, the key to *me* is that she has fallen off the curve. IT's gone flat. For how LONG has it gone flat? That will be what the Endo will look at.....

 

BTW, my DD has Turners Syndrome, she grew until about 6 months, then went flat. Her endo says that at that time she should have gotten a referral to have it checked. Took me till she was 7 years old. In your DD's case it doesn't have to mean she has anything - just something is mucked in her growth. But for peace of mind - i'd go see the Ped Endo.