Late puberty... when to be concerned

[Janie Grace]

Ds16 is getting worried. Although I have told him that I'm sure he's fine, I want to do due diligence. He turned 16 last month. He has FINALLY started growing taller -- he has probably grown 6 inches since the summer. He surpassed me (I'm 5'4") around Christmas and is a bit taller than his sister (5'7") now. His hands and feet are enormous (and his dad is 6'3") so I doubt he will stop growing anytime soon.

 

The thing is, he still has a baby face, no facial hair, no armpit hair. His voice isn't changing at all (no cracking, etc). He has some p*bic hair (he tells me) but that's his only other "sign" besides the height increase. He looks younger than most 14yo boys I see. 

 

His dad and I were very late bloomers. I have chalked this up to heredity. But I don't want to overlook a possible hormone issue. When would you seek medical advice? Do you think he's still within the range of normal?

[fairfarmhand]

I'd get his thyroid checked

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jean in Newcastle]

Time for a doctor visit.  Even if the doctor puts his mind at ease, it is still time to have it checked out. 

[EKS]

Since your son is concerned, it's time to visit the doctor.  The doctor will either reassure him that he is normal or will decide that further investigation is warranted.  

[magnificent_baby]

I would have this checked out. Could still be normal but they can do a quick look to determine the stage and then go from there.

[Supertechmom]

Yep time to check. There's only so much time to do something if anything needs to be done. They will mostly do a bone scan and/or hormone test to check bone age and base any further investigation on those results. Do to his age, schedule the endocrinologist app and ask to be put on the call if app opens earlier list if there is a wait time. Worth a check even if it ends in peace of mind that all is normal

[Janie Grace]

Wow, I didn't expect this reaction. Now I'm a bit scared. Calling doctor today. Thanks for the input!

[Corraleno]

I'd see a doctor just to rule out any hormone issues, but I think it's HIGHLY likely that your son is just at the upper end of the normal curve. The American Academy of Pediatrics says the normal range for entering puberty is 9-14, and the first signs are enlargement of testicles and growth of pubic hair. The growth spurt should start by 15, and you've said that he's shot up 6" during the year he was 15. The website also says that it's common for children of parents who had late puberty to also be late bloomers themselves. So all of that sounds pretty normal.

 

I wouldn't be too worried about the lack of facial or body hair, or even the "baby face." I think the baby face will thin out as his growth spurt continues, and he may just not be a very hairy guy. My DS started puberty around 12, continued to grow in spurts up to the age of 18 (now 6'6") and he has very little facial hair — wispy hair on upper lip and chin, no hair at all on his cheeks. I don't think he started shaving until he was 16 or so, and even then it was maybe once/wk because the hair was so light and sparse. Also very light armpit hair, no chest hair, little hair on his legs. He's part Scandinavian and my Scandinavian relatives are just not hairy guys. (I tell him he's really lucky he got the Scandinavian genes, because on the Irish side of the family, the men all look like they're wearing wool sweaters when they take their shirts off!)

Edited March 29, 2017 by Corraleno

[gardenmom5]

he's 16, most boys are over the puberty hump and on the downside at this point.  it sounds like he's barely starting to scratch the surface.  maybe.   I'm not understanding why you haven't taken him in to get checked?

 

there is a boy at church who is at least 16 - and sounds like a 10year old because his voice is so high.  at least he's not short.  (and never has been.)  there is another who is the size of a 10 year old.  his same age peers are all a minimum of a full head taller.  I have no idea if they've been checked.

 

I had one who was late - and took to get checked.

[Janie Grace]

he's 16, most boys are over the puberty hump and on the downside at this point.  it sounds like he's barely starting to scratch the surface.  maybe.   I'm not understanding why you haven't taken him in to get checked?

 

Wow. Thanks for the encouragement. Because from extensive reading, I had believed him to be on the late side of normal. I am now starting to wonder, and as I said, am making an appointment today.

 

"I'm not understanding" why you would inject negative emotional energy into a thread where I have already expressed uncertainty and concern. But thanks for the input.

[Janie Grace]

I'd see a doctor just to rule out any hormone issues, but I think it's HIGHLY likely that your son is just at the upper end of the normal curve. The American Academy of Pediatrics says the normal range for entering puberty is 9-14, and the first signs are enlargement of testicles and growth of pubic hair. The growth spurt should start by 15, and you've said that he's shot up 6" during the year he was 15. The website also says that it's common for children of parents who had late puberty to also be late bloomers themselves. So all of that sounds pretty normal.

 

I wouldn't be too worried about the lack of facial or body hair, or even the "baby face." I think the baby face will thin out as his growth spurt continues, and he may just not be a very hairy guy. My DS started puberty around 12, continued to grow in spurts up to the age of 18 (now 6'6") and he has very little facial hair — wispy hair on upper lip and chin, no hair at all on his cheeks. I don't think he started shaving until he was 16 or so, and even then it was maybe once/wk because the hair was so light and sparse. Also very light armpit hair, no chest hair, little hair on his legs. He's part Scandinavian and my Scandinavian relatives are just not hairy guys. (I tell him he's really lucky he got the Scandinavian genes, because on the Irish side of the family, the men all look like they're wearing wool sweaters when they take their shirts off!)

 

Yes, that had been my thinking. His dad has a round face, cannot grow a full beard (or even a very thick goatee), and has very little chest hair. I had been chalking all of this up to genes (and still think that's likely, though I will take him to the doctor to be sure).

[Bluegoat]

Well, I wouldn't worry.  He's showing all the first signs, and sometimes the tallest kids seem to start later.  And no facial hair isn't unusual at all, some men never really get it. 

 

I remember reading an interview with a rather tall hairy and middle-aged actor saying how in an early movie he was in he needed to fake whiskers because he didn't have any yet!  And my dad still didn't need to shave when he joined the navy.

[kroe1]

Nope, I would not worry. Since everything is going fine now, and both parents were late bloomers, I would just wait. If he had zero hair or testicular growth or growth spurt by 16, then I would certainly be worried.

[Janie Grace]

Nope, I would not worry. Since everything is going fine now, and both parents were late bloomers, I would just wait. If he had zero hair or testicular growth or growth spurt by 16, then I would certainly be worried.

 

Okay, thanks. By "late," I mean LATE. I didn't get my p*riod until I was almost 17.

[Corraleno]

Wow. Thanks for the encouragement. Because from extensive reading, I had believed him to be on the late side of normal. I am now starting to wonder, and as I said, am making an appointment today.

 

"I'm not understanding" why you would inject negative emotional energy into a thread where I have already expressed uncertainty and concern. But thanks for the input.

 

Janie Grace, FWIW, I would also have assumed (and still do think) that he is likely just on the late side of normal, and if he were my son, I would not have taken him in any sooner either. Even now, I think the appointment is more just to put your son's worries to rest. I'm betting that his growth will continue for the next couple of years, that he will end up close to his dad's height, and will look like a normal 18 year old in a couple of years. Maybe not the hairiest 18 year old ever, but IMO that's actually a feature, not a bug. :)

 

:grouphug:

Edited March 29, 2017 by Corraleno

[OneStepAtATime]

In all likelihood since you and your husband were late bloomers he is too. I do think it is a good idea to check with a doctor and I'm glad you are calling but it may very well just be genetic and he will be fine. :)

 

On a side note I used to babysit a kid that was super short and babyfaced until nearly 16. Both parents were very tall. Pediatrician was freaking out but Mom wasn't. Every male child on her husband's side started puberty late. Sure enough he shot up a foot and voice dropped etc while he was going through 16 then 17.

[Tanaqui]

Your son probably IS normal and you shouldn't worry. But it's not healthy for him to worry either, which is why people are suggesting you go to the doctor.

[unsinkable]

Do you have old pediatrician forms/reports or physical reports?

 

Those usually have a spot for "Tanner stages" and you can look and see if there has been progress. I think it's fine to take him in but maybe looking up his old medical records can reassure you the ped has been following and recording, and that he has been moving thru the stages.

[Guest]

It's likely to be "late bloomer", but my understanding is that if the child turns 16 and there's still no sign of puberty, you should get hormones checked.

[Guest]

Okay, thanks. By "late," I mean LATE. I didn't get my p*riod until I was almost 17.

Lucky you. I was 12. My sister was 10. Neither of us was emotionally ready for it.

Edited March 29, 2017 by Kinsa

[Janie Grace]

Lucky you. I was 12. My sister was 10. Neither of us was emotionally ready for it.

 

I didn't feel lucky! I remember weeping in the shower after I got it, thanking God that I wasn't "barren." 

 

But yeah... I'm glad I wasn't super young. I remember a friend getting it in 5th grade and thinking she was dying. :(

[Bluegoat]

It's likely to be "late bloomer", but my understanding is that if the child turns 16 and there's still no sign of puberty, you should get hormones checked.

 

 

But he is showing signs...

[HTRMom]

Probably normal. My DH was child height at 16 but was six feet by graduation. If your DH has little face and body hair, I wouldn't expect DS to have more even as an adult. Most at 16 probably have half of their final facial hair if that.

 

I think later puberty is a good thing! Puts mental maturity an extra step ahead of the crazy hormones.

 

Any time your child is concerned, I think it's good practice to see a doctor, to show that you take them seriously.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[redsquirrel]

I guess a doctor visit just to put your mind at ease but it is very unlikely to be anything that warrants concern. My son is about to be 17 and he definitely has friends his age who have never shaved. My son has been shaving for just over a year, but no more than once a week, and that's if he's feeling fancy, lol. He's been 'growing' a goatee for almost a year and so far no one has noticed. :lol:   I know there are lots of grown men who don't need to shave every day or who can skip on the weekends without it looking any different, especially when they are in their early to mid 20s. 

 

It is unlikely that his voice hasn't changed at all. Just the fact that he's grown taller almost guarantees that his voice has changed at least some.  If his body is growing then his vocal chords have grown. Lots of men don't have deep voices.  My husband has a distinctively deep voice, and I can promise you we know lots of men whose voices are closer to mine, if not higher. And not every boy goes through those dramatic cracks etc.  My older boy has clearly inherited his dad's deeper voice, but it never broke or sounded odd. It was a gradual change, mostly noticed by visiting relatives.

 

 

 

 

[Janie Grace]

I guess a doctor visit just to put your mind at ease but it is very unlikely to be anything that warrants concern. My son is about to be 17 and he definitely has friends his age who have never shaved. My son has been shaving for just over a year, but no more than once a week, and that's if he's feeling fancy, lol. He's been 'growing' a goatee for almost a year and so far no one has noticed. :lol:   I know there are lots of grown men who don't need to shave every day or who can skip on the weekends without it looking any different, especially when they are in their early to mid 20s. 

 

It is unlikely that his voice hasn't changed at all. Just the fact that he's grown taller almost guarantees that his voice has changed at least some.  If his body is growing then his vocal chords have grown. Lots of men don't have deep voices.  My husband has a distinctively deep voice, and I can promise you we know lots of men whose voices are closer to mine, if not higher. And not every boy goes through those dramatic cracks etc.  My older boy has clearly inherited his dad's deeper voice, but it never broke or sounded odd. It was a gradual change, mostly noticed by visiting relatives.

 

That's really interesting about the voice thing. I always thought that it went through an obvious change with cracking and stuff. But it could very well be that it has gotten deeper/fuller without my noticing (to be honest, I think this is the case, now that I think about it). I have noticed that he seems to be bellowing at me sometimes, and then I just realize it's how he talks. Maybe his version of the voice transition is temporarily not knowing how to control his volume.  :D

 

I should add that this son is like a carbon copy of DH. People notice and point it out all the time -- they look almost identical. So it makes sense that he's not very hairy, I think. Some of my younger boys (who look less like DH) have hairier legs already... maybe more like the men on my side of the family.

[Supertechmom]

Oh yeah. I fully feel it is normal and all will be fine based on your description of your husband and you. And I've gone through this with one child. But I would still check on the rare off chance it isnt. Better to be sure than discover in another year or two it isnt. Plus, the endo will give you some guidelines, things to look for, when to call them if you dont notice those things and so far ours has been right on target. So that info is helpful.

 

My kids have a mix of a late bloomer male (he looked 12 at 16) and early bloomer female ( I looked 20 at 12) and celiac disease which affects the start of puberty.

 

So far the first was very late, the second normal, the third in a "delay" some signs have started but the full deal is still going to be on the late end of normal. It has helped having a guideline and some professional experts in just this area to help us.

[Supertechmom]

About hair, both my late bloomer who went through at 16 and my normal son who went through at like 13 shave daily or they have a full beard. 4 years apart in age and the younger grew a full beard before the oldest lol

[redsquirrel]

That's really interesting about the voice thing. I always thought that it went through an obvious change with cracking and stuff. But it could very well be that it has gotten deeper/fuller without my noticing (to be honest, I think this is the case, now that I think about it). I have noticed that he seems to be bellowing at me sometimes, and then I just realize it's how he talks. Maybe his version of the voice transition is temporarily not knowing how to control his volume.  :D

 

I should add that this son is like a carbon copy of DH. People notice and point it out all the time -- they look almost identical. So it makes sense that he's not very hairy, I think. Some of my younger boys (who look less like DH) have hairier legs already... maybe more like the men on my side of the family.

 

Oh god, the bellowing....  I know it well, it is either too loud or too quiet.  Either he is speaking in a way that other adults call the poor boy out for mumbling,, which really means that his voice is deep and he is just speaking quietly. Or he forgets how well his voice can carry now and it's too loud. 

 

I often have to tell BOTH dh and ds1 to please speak more quietly. It's always when they are feeling relaxed and comfortable. I usually just say "I'm right here, I can hear you"....unless I am telling ds1 to please speak up so we can hear him.  Poor kid, can't catch a break.

 

But it never broke or changed register in mid sentence or anything dramatic. We saw a thing on TV and the teenage boy was speaking in a way that was meant to sound like his voice was breaking (it was animated) and ds1 asked why boys was speaking so weird. We had to explain that some teenage boy's voices make odd squeaks or change register in mid sentence. DS1 was fascinated bc he had never experienced that for himself.

 

 

[City Mouse]

My DS is a "late bloomer". He did not lose the last of his baby teeth until after his 14th birthday. The orthodontist made us get the last one pulled. He grew 6 in from last June to February, and I just noticed (like two weeks ago) that he has some very faint facial hair above his lip. He still has no armpit hair.

So, I wouldn't worry much but agree with taking him to the dr even if it is just to reassure the kid.

 

My BIL was the shortest boy in his Senior class photo of like 500 students. By the time he graduated from college he was 6ft 4in tall.

[Katy]

I would take a girl in at 16 and a boy at 17, but since he's worried about it there's no harm in going in early.  Tall boys and families with late puberty generally both go late.  So do the thin/low body fat. 

[chiguirre]

Hmm, I'd never worried about Geezle or GW until this thread. (Okay, I'm not really worried about them now either but I did pause to wonder.)

 

GW is 17, 6'1" and had his growth spurt at about 13-14. His legs are quite hairy but he only has to shave his 'stache and his chin once a week and if he skipped it wouldn't be a big deal.

 

Geezle is 16, 5'10" and had his growth spurt at about 15. His legs just got noticeably hairy in the last few months so after his 16th birthday. His face is as smooth as a baby's bottom, not a whisker in sight. His voice changed last summer (so almost 16) but the only one who noticed was him. The rest of us just heard him lament about his voice sounding funny, but if he hadn't said anything I wouldn't have noticed on my own.

 

Geezle seems well within normal for high school males. He might be a touch on the tall side for a sophomore and a bit less hairy than some but nothing that would make him stand out in a crowd. His main distinguishing factor is that he doesn't get many pimples.

 

ETA: GW got arm pit hair at 16ish and Geezle doesn't have any. Neither has any hair on their chests.

 

Honestly, Janie, I think your son sounds fine. He sounds a lot like my kids and neither the neurologist or Geezle's pediatrician expressed any concern whatsoever about their growth and development. Both dh and I are tall, so GW is close to full height and Geezle still has a couple of inches probably.

Edited March 29, 2017 by chiguirre

[Suzanne in ABQ]

While it's good to have a physical anyway, and you will definitely want to bring this up, I wouldn't worry.  He IS growing.  My son and his friends all hit a growth spurt before they showed other signs of puberty.  I remember it was kinda strange having all these TALL teenagers around, talking in boy voices!  It sounds like your son is just coming to the party a little later than the norm, but since your dh and you were both late bloomers, I wouldn't be worried.  The doctor may test various hormones, but will likely just want to see him again in a few months.

[redsquirrel]

While it's good to have a physical anyway, and you will definitely want to bring this up, I wouldn't worry.  He IS growing.  My son and his friends all hit a growth spurt before they showed other signs of puberty.  I remember it was kinda strange having all these TALL teenagers around, talking in boy voices!  It sounds like your son is just coming to the party a little later than the norm, but since your dh and you were both late bloomers, I wouldn't be worried.  The doctor may test various hormones, but will likely just want to see him again in a few months.

 

This just shows that there is no one right way to do this. My older boy had his voice change first.  He was this little kid with a Big Deep Voice.  It took at least a year for his growth spurt to kick in, around 13. 

 

But he was the baby faced little boy with a big voice...and there went his career in musical theater.  All the 'good' parts are for tenors and poor ds1 looks like prince charming (slender, graceful blonde) but has a bass voice. :lol: 

 

ds2 is just 12 and shows zero signs of puberty, so we'll see how it goes with him.

[bettyandbob]

It sounds like your DS is on track with his genetics (late bloomer parents).

 

I'd arrange a doctor visit anyway to settle your dad's concerns.