Growth hormone and children...

[stephanie]

Our Dr. recently advised us to knock around the idea of referring us to an endocrinologist to have my dd7 evaluated for possibly starting growth hormone. He didn't pressure us at all, but looking at her growth chart there is a possibility that she will be under 4"10". I am only 5' and dh is 5'6" so we were not expecting her to be tall, but I sure don't want her to have the same struggles I have had as a short woman/child. I would feel peace if I knew she would be at least my height, but shorter than that can be very difficult. I've had to seriously watch my weight my entire life simply because of my height, not to mention the social aspects that I have and still often feel. Then on the other hand, I just prefer to keep her just as God has made her. Of course I'm fine with however tall or short she is, but if I can ease her life a little then I 'd like to. So I'm looking for anyone with experience with this. If there is any serious side effects then of course we wouldn't do it. I've researched it a bit, but prefer to hear personal stories. Thanks so much!

[Carrie12345]

I would be very cautious at age 7. Dh's parents considered growth hormones for him when he was about 13 or 14 and very short compared to his peers and family history. The decided against them, and he wound up about 5'10 by 18, which is short by my standards, but tall by theirs. His mom and sister are around 5'4".

 

I just don't see how a growth chart can be used for something so serious, at such a young age. Puberty has such a wide spectrum, and she hasn't even started yet (I assume!)

[stephanie]

I would be very cautious at age 7. Dh's parents considered growth hormones for him when he was about 13 or 14 and very short compared to his peers and family history. The decided against them, and he wound up about 5'10 by 18, which is short by my standards, but tall by theirs. His mom and sister are around 5'4".

 

I just don't see how a growth chart can be used for something so serious, at such a young age. Puberty has such a wide spectrum, and she hasn't even started yet (I assume!)

 

Yes, there are so many factors to consider. I'm not even sure what age they recommend starting gh. I just know it has to be started before the growth plates fuse. By the way, 5'10" is considered a giant in our family! LOL! Our tallest female is my sis who is 5'3"! My daddy is only 5'6", just like my dh!

[newbie]

I have some experience, but limited, since mom did not go through w/suggestions.

 

But all the pre stuff has my head spinning. Matter of fact, thinking about it might be why I have overwhelming fear of docs.

 

Did not come from short family, dad is over six feet. All family is tall. I cannot remember exact heighth, but lets say size of two yo in kindergarten, basically three yrs. behind in growth pattern. Mind you this was thirty something yrs. ago. I remember going to a ton of specialists, all concerned about size. It got down to wire of taking hormones, but mom concerned about side effects. Fortunately she did not do it.

 

I was teased all my life endlessly. But I took it w/ a grain of salt. It did not bother me at all. Also, my sister passed me by the time she was six, she is six foot too. Turns out my growth patterns were three yrs behind. Therefore I grew well into 21 and am now 5'4". Very tall, by my standards.

Somewhere in the line though my small genes carry, because I have a niece who is small, but they say she is just like me petite. So it doesnt bother anyone and they are not even concerned.

 

Although I can remember my brother super concerned about his heighth when he was teen, he has one small and one tall sis. Of course he wanted the latter. He got 5'10".

 

I dont think you get much inches w/hormone and the side effects are worse. It would be of no concern to me. Btw, I think my oldest will not hit five feet. I think she is done. Her sis will pass her soon. I just dont make an issue. She is beautiful and talented and smart, no matter what size.

[abbeyej]

Have you had a simple "bone age x-ray" done yet? It's an easy, quick x-ray of the wrist, and it will tell you the developmental age of your dd's skeleton. We found dd's to be very nearly 2 full years behind her chronological age. (She was 5y9m when we had it done, and it said she had a bone age of 4y0m.) From there, we recalculated her growth based on her bone age instead of her chronological age, and it was much more reassuring. Her predicted adult height suddenly became 5'-5'1" -- which is petite, but still well within normal.

 

The diagnosis for her was "constitutional growth delay" -- basically, her whole body just slowed down for a few years there in her toddlerhood/preschool years, and she will hit growth/physical maturity milestowns later than the average for her chronological age. This means puberty later than her friends too, and that pubertal growth spurt will come later as well.

 

We do keep charting her (and putting two lines in -- one for her chronological age, one 21 months back) and make sure she maintains *that* curve. So far, since doing the bone age x-ray, she seems to be maintaining a reasonable growth curve...

 

We had been referred because while dd had been petite since she was a few months old (birth = ~75%ile, then fell to 25th pretty rapidly) she kept losing ground... The 15th, 10th, 5th, 3rd, then by 5 she was off the charts completely and still showing little growth... So we did the bone age x-ray, and we've watched her growth since then (and it has definitely picked up -- apparently seeing the biggest slow-down by or before age 5 is very typical)...

 

We're continuing to monitor dd's growth, and we'll be looking for any signs of puberty before her teens, but at this point, I'm very comfortable waiting.

 

If your ped won't do the bone age xray or doesn't feel confident determining that this is "constitutional growth delay", I'd go to the pediatric endocrinologist now. If he's a good doctor, he'll rule out simple delayed growth (like dd) and other possible causes for her lack of growth (heart issues, celiac, difficulty absorbing nutrients, etc, etc) before he even *mentions* growth hormone.

[LG Gone Wild]

any hang ups I had stemmed from my mom. She is only 4'10" (probably smaller now). I had the hormones and I can't say they worked that well for me. :tongue_smilie:

[Karenciavo]

If your ped won't do the bone age xray or doesn't feel confident determining that this is "constitutional growth delay", I'd go to the pediatric endocrinologist now. If he's a good doctor, he'll rule out simple delayed growth (like dd) and other possible causes for her lack of growth (heart issues, celiac, difficulty absorbing nutrients, etc, etc) before he even *mentions* growth hormone.

 

Agree. We just went through all this with son #2 who is 13 yo. He's above average height, but his growth chart curve took a dive for the last two years and his IGF-1 levels were a little low. I'm still waiting on the bone x-ray results, but more blood work was done and came back fine.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I'd go to the specialist just so you can have enough information from which to make some decisions. Without enough information, you're throwing darts with your eyes closed, imo.

 

I see nothing wrong with addressing this issue if there truly IS an issue and the treatment is generally safe (which I have no clue about).

[Deb in NZ]

& after much talk & prayer dh & I decided NOT to give ds#1 growth hormones. Ds#1 was 7yo at the time & wearing a size 5 clothing. I'm only 4'11" & dh is 5'10". Both dh & my fathers are under 5'6", so lack of height wasn't a surprise. Ds#1 was in the 50% at birth & at 6mo had fallen to the 3%. By 1yo he was below 3%, where he has remained. At the time we were living in FIJI & I took him to the public health nurses monthly for weighing & measuring. Ds#1 was growing, just at his own speed (~100g / month). He was meeting or exceeding all his developmental milestones, so we decided not to worry. We only saw a dr. when ds#1 was 7yo to rule out diabetes 1 as a reason for his continuing to wet the bed. The dr. took one look at him & sent us for tons of tests.

 

The reasons we decided against growth hormones at the time:

 

1---Giving ds#1 growth hormones would mean commiting him to daily injections until he finished puberty (probably over 10 years)

 

2---Ds#1's bone age x-ray came back = 2 years delayed growth.

 

3---We felt the unknown risk of possible side effects was worse than the likely possibility of being short.

 

Why I'm glad we did not give ds#1 growth hormones:

 

1---Last year we were talking to a couple of friends who are drs. The told us that growth hormones only help children to reach their max. height sooner. Growth hormones will not make them any bigger than they would have been with out growth hormones.

 

2---Ds#1 has excelled in sports, even with being a full head shorter than others. He represented our provience at the national gymnastics competition at age 10yo & continues to be one of the leading gymnasts in our provience. He has played soccer & field hockey, sails, swims, & is very physically active. His size has not held him back at all.

 

3---Ds#2 isn't really much bigger than ds#1. He has been about 1 year ahead of ds#1 as far as growth (i.e. at 10yo he is the size ds#1 was at 11yo). Dd has stopped growing & is about 5'2". She would like to be a bit bigger, but doesn't let her lack of height hold her back.

 

All-in-all, height is just another part of us, just like hair / eye / skin color.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Deb in NZ

[LizzyBee]

I just don't see how a growth chart can be used for something so serious, at such a young age. Puberty has such a wide spectrum, and she hasn't even started yet (I assume!)

 

The endocrinologist will run tests to see if the child is producing normal levels of growth hormone, among other things. The growth charts might be used for a referral, but much, much more goes into the decision to prescribe.

[Medieval Mom]

I, personally, would not feel any desire to use growth hormones on my children. (4'10" is not THAT small anyway, esp. from a world-wide perspective.) Variation in the human race is what makes us interesting, unique, different.

 

I was projected to reach a much taller height than my 5'2". But I'm so glad that I am the way that I am. It's part of ME. I would feel that "shortness" was a fault that needed to be "corrected" if my parents had chosen to use growth hormones.

 

What's so wrong with being short? We'll all get teased for one thing or another in life. I'd hate to see society move more and more toward everyone being "NORMAL" when what they really mean is "AVERAGE". Who wants to be average, anyway? (And average for whom? It wasn't that long ago that girls were teased for being tall! Fashionable height goes up and down throughout history... but should we biologically alter it to fit someone else's ideals????) It all smacks to me of breeding the human race into a standard.... Eek! I don't see this issue as being any different from Asians having their eyes "fixed" to be like "Western eyes", or other cosmetic procedures which rob us of our unique heritage. Let's celebrate our unique differences!!! ;)

[Tabrett]

I don't know if this is a normal side effect of GH or not, but dd's friend is having to have GH. She had a brain tumor that impeded her growth. She has reached about 5' at 14 years old. Her feet and hands are huge, almost hobbit like( I'm guessing she wears about a size 9-10 shoe). Her bones are very thick. Her mom and dad are very small people (mom about 5' and weights around 100 lbs, dad about 5'8" and weights about 150 lbs). If I knew that GH would cause my body to look distorted, I be very upset if my parents had given me GH. I would much rather be 4' 10" and proportioned normally.

Please check to see if this is a side effect of GH.

 

Honestly, I don't understand the desire for everybody to be tall. I'm only 5' 3" and If I had to choose to be a different size, I would want to be smaller, not taller. I love being small! I think small women are beautiful. I don't understand why Hollywood casts so many tall women.

 

My doc has also mentioned GH for my ds at his 15 month check up!!!! He is under 5% on the growth chart. SO WHAT! My half brother is only 5' 4" and I have family on the other side where the men are that short too. I really don't see the purpose of GH? Is it going to make them smarter? Have a better job?

 

I wouldn't do it if I were you. I'm not going to do it to my son either.

[abbeyej]

Ok, Medieval Mom and Tabrett, I want to point out that most of us are recommending that the OP discover the cause of her child's lack of growth -- *not* that she leap at the opportunity to use growth hormone. Lack of growth is a symptom, and it's absolutely worth pursuing an appt with an endocrinologist to figure out *why* a child isn't growing.

 

As you can see in this thread, many, many kids are simply growth-delayed -- they lose 2-3 years of growing time in toddlerhood, but they continue growing into their late teens. That's a very typical pattern for delayed growth, and there are simple diagnostic tests to determine that that's indeed what is happening.

 

But there are other causes too. Some of them life-threatening if untreated. Many others that can be treated (the underlying cause, I mean) and treating that cause may or may not allow their bodies to focus on growth again. All of this *without* growth hormone.

 

And doctors aren't going to give growth hormone to a girl they expect to reach five feet tall (much less 5'2 or 5'3, lol). But "less than 4'10" is a *wildly* different prediction for an adult's life than 5'2...

 

I don't think any of us are recommending taking this step lightly at all.

 

But I do think it's worth finding out why a young child is simply not growing. A pediatric endocrinologist is a reasonable next step.

[hornblower]

I really don't see the purpose of GH? Is it going to make them smarter? Have a better job?

 

 

 

But there are studies showing better earning capacity & career success for taller males:

 

"Tall men, a series of studies has shown, benefit from a significant bias. They get married sooner, get promoted quicker, and earn higher wages. According to one recent study, the average six-foot worker earns a hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars more, over a thirty-year period, than his five-foot-five-inch counterpart—about eight hundred dollars more per inch per year. Short men are unlucky in politics (only five of forty-three Presidents have been shorter than average) and unluckier in love. A survey of some six thousand adolescents in the nineteen-sixties showed that the tallest boys were the first to get dates. The only ones more successful were those who got to choose their own clothes."

 

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/05/040405fa_fact

 

 

 

We were on the other side of the coin. My dd was a very tall child & a number of people were suggesting some medications which apparently can stop growth? I never looked into it at all so I don't even know if it's true.

[Tabrett]

Ok, Medieval Mom and Tabrett, I want to point out that most of us are recommending that the OP discover the cause of her child's lack of growth -- *not* that she leap at the opportunity to use growth hormone. Lack of growth is a symptom, and it's absolutely worth pursuing an appt with an endocrinologist to figure out *why* a child isn't growing.

 

Then why doesn't the doc suggest finding out why the dc has not grown. My doc said nothing to me about finding out why my ds was so small. Just talked about maybe looking into growth harmones. If my doc had said something like, "I'm worried about your dc growth. I would like to run some test to see if everything checks out ok." I might have listened. Instead, she only mentioned using growth harmones. I changed doctors after that visit. At the next well child check up (18 months), the new doc said nothing about using GH. He did look at my dc's growth pattern charted on the graph and said that he was growing at a normal curve and look like he might catch up around 3 years old. He also took in consideration smallness of my other two dc, dh and I.

[TraceyS/FL]

i have to go cook - but we went to the Endo excepting normal "slow growth" and walked out with a Genetic Condition.

 

To the OP - if you haven't been here - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www Then go! LOL!!

 

I highly recommend the bone age, and if it's 1.5-2 deviations off - see the Ped Endocrinologist.

 

OK, dinner...

[camibami]

I agree, growth hormone is not something to be taken lightly. But, there are real bonafide reasons to use it. My cousin is a type 1 diabetic, and he stopped growing at around 8. He was given HGH and grew a more, but is still only around 5'3". Without it, he would be under 5' tall, as an adult.

 

I also have a friend whose DD is on it. They have been to every Dr under the sun, and the kid just doesn't make enough of it on her own. X rays showed her limbs were too short, so it wasn't just overall height being affected. The window is small for this usually- puberty can start as early as 8 and then (for girls at least) growth can stop after puberty.

 

These are people who made well researched, informed decisions. Its *not* just to "make your kid taller". I can't imagine any ethical Dr prescribing it for that, frankly. It is worth it to research it well, and then decide, not just dismiss it out of hand.

[Ottakee]

I would go ahead and see the peds. endocrinologist for an eval.

 

Like others said, there are other tests they will run to find out WHY she is small. For my daughter, hypo-thyroid was part of it. She also has a delayed bone age. She is now 13, wears girls size 8 (sometimes 10) pants but is well into puberty. Her projected height is now about 4'10" so we aren't doing growth hormones.

 

A good endo will not just "start" growth hormones without many other tests and clear medical reason behind it. They are also VERY expensive--to the tune of $20,000 or so a year and often many years are needed.

 

She might just have a younger bone age--which means she will continue to grow later than most girls. It could be a thyroid or other hormonal issue that needs to be addressed. It could be that she is perfectly normal but just small.

[abbeyej]

Then why doesn't the doc suggest finding out why the dc has not grown. My doc said nothing to me about finding out why my ds was so small. Just talked about maybe looking into growth harmones. If my doc had said something like, "I'm worried about your dc growth. I would like to run some test to see if everything checks out ok." I might have listened. Instead, she only mentioned using growth harmones. I changed doctors after that visit. At the next well child check up (18 months), the new doc said nothing about using GH. He did look at my dc's growth pattern charted on the graph and said that he was growing at a normal curve and look like he might catch up around 3 years old. He also took in consideration smallness of my other two dc, dh and I.

 

Well, honestly, your first doc sounds like an idiot. :(

 

But the OP should know that going to an endocrinologist should *not* automatically mean being pushed into giving hormones. Far from it! It should be the first step in diagnosing *why* a child isn't growing (and treating it appropriately).

[Pongo]

I wouldn't even worry about it until you speak to the Endocrinologist. Primary Doc's are great but, they sometimes jump the gun to what a specialized Dr. would do:) Anyway 7 is still quite young seeing,the main factor that determines when the growth plates fuse is the rise in various hormones that takes place with puberty.

[Medieval Mom]

And doctors aren't going to give growth hormone to a girl they expect to reach five feet tall (much less 5'2 or 5'3, lol). But "less than 4'10" is a *wildly* different prediction for an adult's life than 5'2...

 

Actually, I know of at least three girls who were given growth hormones because the doctor predicted their height "would only reach 5'2 or 5'3", with no underlying medical problems.... just lack of height!

 

Of course, I would never suggest ignoring any medical problems that are there. But I truly *am* seeing many cases of children being given hormones unnecessarily... and I would be wary of that.

 

As for 4'10" being *wildly* different, I don't quite agree. In many Asian countries and in India, the average female height is around or just under 5'0". Average. So there are millions of women out there who are shorter than this average. Is it really anything to be prevented or treated at all costs? I guess this is a point of view on which we'll have to agree to disagree.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Medieval Mom

[abbeyej]

As for 4'10" being *wildly* different, I don't quite agree. In many Asian countries and in India, the average female height is around or just under 5'0". Average. So there are millions of women out there who are shorter than this average. Is it really anything to be prevented or treated at all costs? I guess this is a point of view on which we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I certainly never said it was "to be prevented or treated at all costs".

 

I've even said that my own dd's predicted height is 5' (or maybe 5'1"). Growth hormone has never even been mentioned in any of our appointments dealing with her short stature. Determining the cause and the extent of what that might be was.

 

But clearly you know different people than I. I don't know anyone who has put their child on growth hormone lightly or for average height (which 5'-5'3" would certainly be).

[Medieval Mom]

I certainly never said it was "to be prevented or treated at all costs".

 

I've even said that my own dd's predicted height is 5' (or maybe 5'1"). Growth hormone has never even been mentioned in any of our appointments dealing with her short stature. Determining the cause and the extent of what that might be was.

 

But clearly you know different people than I. I don't know anyone who has put their child on growth hormone lightly or for average height (which 5'-5'3" would certainly be).

 

I apologize and will now withdraw from the discussion. :blushing:

[stephanie]

Thank you for all of your suggestions. My computer's hard drive crashed so I haven't been able to check in on the thread. I have a lot to think about here. My goal is for my little girl to have the opportunity to be the best she can be-tall or short. I would never walk into this lightly, nor give her meds just to make her taller. I understand there is nothing wrong with being short, and I don't have a desire for her to be this image of a tall, long-legged woman. But,being short has been very difficult in my life. I know that's just my life experience,but nevertheless it has been difficult and will continue to be. I have spent my entire life fighting my weight just to avoid being that short and chunky girl. Pregnancy was difficult because of the extra weight, and it was hard to come off as well. I've never felt like that "beautiful girl" because I'm always labeled "cute". That still holds true for me as well. Often when I'm next to much taller women I don't even feel like a woman-or just less than. Not sexy and desirable, but child-like. Clothes are a nightmare....nothing EVER fits, everything has to be altered, and I end up having to shop in the kids section, which hardly looks womanly! These are just a few things that come to mind that have emotionally hurt me. I'm sure someone here will see me as a baby, but I'm just trying to be transparent as can be. Being so short can be very difficult....I just hurt to think my little girl may have the same issues and even worse if she's 4'9". I am going to talk to my Dr. about the bone x-ray and go from there. If there is a true underlying problem then we'll go from there. I do appreciate all the input you all gave. I just felt like I needed to give a little more insight into this for me for anyone who felt my goal was to only make her taller just to be taller. I'm praying that dd be a much stronger little person than I was and am in her identity as a small person. Thanks again!

[beansprouts]

:blink:

[stephanie]

:blink:

 

U r funny!!

[Ottakee]

Steph,

 

I really appreciate your honesty here. My 2 girls are projected to be quite short. They have mitochondrial disorders and are projected to be 4'10" at most. We discussed the growth hormones but at this point are waiting as their bone ages are behind their real age.

 

They are still small though. My 13dd is only 4'7" and can still wear girls size 8 clothes. She is still in a booster seat in most vehicles as well. My 12dd is about 1/2 inch shorter than her sister.

 

I would take your daughter to the peds. endocrinologist and have them check her bone age, basic hormone levels, thyroid, etc. and then go from there. Most likely (unless the blood tests show something) he will follow her every 6-12 months for a few years before deciding anything. It is good though to have those baseline tests done.

[abbeyej]

...I just hurt to think my little girl may have the same issues and even worse if she's 4'9". I am going to talk to my Dr. about the bone x-ray and go from there. ...

 

Truly, the bone age x-ray *may* reassure you. It certainly did us. As I said, it bumped dd's projected height up quite a bit to realize that her body was "running behind" by about two years. Instead of looking at her final height based on her current height as a 6yo, we'd figure it as if she were a 4yo... Whee! And suddenly she's projected to be almost as tall as I am! :)

 

And you know, I *am* slightly taller than you, but my experience of being petite has *not* been as unpleasant as it seems that yours has been for you. I don't mean to question *your* experience at all -- simply to say that your daughter may not have those same feelings and struggles you have had *simply* because she's likely to be petite as well. Sure, I'm never gonna be "statuesque", and I may have to settle for "cute" rather than "beautiful". But "cute" just ain't so bad, you know? :) And it means no matter your husband's height, you can wear cool heels when you want to. ;) And I can't say that my taller friends truly appear to have fewer struggles with their weight than I have had. I have skinny, petite friends, and heavy, tall friends. I'm not as thin as I'd like to be, but I truly don't associate that with my *height*...

 

I don't know if any of this has been encouraging to you, but that was truly my intent.

 

I'm glad that we went ahead and did the bone age x-ray and considered whether there were any underlying causes preventing dd from growing. And this year she's outgrown all her 3t pants! Whee! (Ooh, and it's been sort of nice to keep buying clothes at Baby Gap... I haven't had any trouble at all finding appropriate "little girl" clothes for dd so far!) :)

[newbie]

Short is special. Here is the kicker. Like I said previously, my sis is six foot. Guess who still gets comments daily.

 

Noone ever says to me you are short, but my sis cringes every day when she hears about her heigth and she is forty.

 

Seeing both ends of the spectrum personally. I take short.

[Kathy in MD]

........

What's so wrong with being short? We'll all get teased for one thing or another in life. I'd hate to see society move more and more toward everyone being "NORMAL" when what they really mean is "AVERAGE". Who wants to be average, anyway? (And average for whom? It wasn't that long ago that girls were teased for being tall! Fashionable height goes up and down throughout history... but should we biologically alter it to fit someone else's ideals????) It all smacks to me of breeding the human race into a standard....

.

 

I developed a hypothisis about how height affects spouse selection based on observations of my family and the guys in college. :) :) My father and uncles ALL married short women. My father was the short one in his family at 6'2. Most of my uncles were around 6'6. My father's sister and mother (5'9 or so) both married short men (5'-9 or so). I noticed this same pattern in college. All the guys over 6' dated short girls while I dated guys either shorter than me or my height. My dh is only 1 1/2" taller than me -- the tallest guy I've ever dated.

 

Hypothesis -- Tall people generally marry short people in the hopes that their children will be average in height and be able to BUY CLOTHES OFF THE RACK. No need for expensive "talls", custom made clothes or alterations. This is a frugal lifestyle choice!

[newbie]

.

 

I developed a hypothisis about how height affects spouse selection based on observations of my family and the guys in college. :) :) My father and uncles ALL married short women. My father was the short one in his family at 6'2. Most of my uncles were around 6'6. My father's sister and mother (5'9 or so) both married short men (5'-9 or so). I noticed this same pattern in college. All the guys over 6' dated short girls while I dated guys either shorter than me or my height. My dh is only 1 1/2" taller than me -- the tallest guy I've ever dated.

 

Hypothesis -- Tall people generally marry short people in the hopes that their children will be average in height and be able to BUY CLOTHES OFF THE RACK. No need for expensive "talls", custom made clothes or alterations. This is a frugal lifestyle choice!

 

I never thought of this, all my relatives run the same gamut. Although my sis married avg. men, none taller , but new boyfriend is much taller, the kick is she is done having babies. Hmmmm.

[Kathy in MD]

......

Honestly, I don't understand the desire for everybody to be tall. I'm only 5' 3" and If I had to choose to be a different size, I would want to be smaller, not taller. I love being small! I think small women are beautiful. I don't understand why Hollywood casts so many tall women.

 

.....

 

It sounds like height, unlike hair and weight, is something that women are happy with. I'm at the opposite extreme and love being tall and if anything would like to be taller. :) I never could understand how my mother could make it in the world being only 5'4. Of course she might have had things easier if dad wasn't so tall and put everything up high. ;) :0

[Kathy in MD]

Thank you for all of your suggestions. My computer's hard drive crashed so I haven't been able to check in on the thread. I have a lot to think about here. My goal is for my little girl to have the opportunity to be the best she can be-tall or short. I would never walk into this lightly, nor give her meds just to make her taller. I understand there is nothing wrong with being short, and I don't have a desire for her to be this image of a tall, long-legged woman. But,being short has been very difficult in my life. I know that's just my life experience,but nevertheless it has been difficult and will continue to be. I have spent my entire life fighting my weight just to avoid being that short and chunky girl. Pregnancy was difficult because of the extra weight, and it was hard to come off as well. I've never felt like that "beautiful girl" because I'm always labeled "cute". That still holds true for me as well. Often when I'm next to much taller women I don't even feel like a woman-or just less than. Not sexy and desirable, but child-like. Clothes are a nightmare....nothing EVER fits, everything has to be altered, and I end up having to shop in the kids section, which hardly looks womanly! These are just a few things that come to mind that have emotionally hurt me. I'm sure someone here will see me as a baby, but I'm just trying to be transparent as can be. Being so short can be very difficult....I just hurt to think my little girl may have the same issues and even worse if she's 4'9". I am going to talk to my Dr. about the bone x-ray and go from there. If there is a true underlying problem then we'll go from there. I do appreciate all the input you all gave. I just felt like I needed to give a little more insight into this for me for anyone who felt my goal was to only make her taller just to be taller. I'm praying that dd be a much stronger little person than I was and am in her identity as a small person. Thanks again!

 

It's hard to see that your children might struggle with some things. But you can also be tall and chunky and have a trouble losing weight. I do admit that being tall, if you have some muscle underlying the flab, helps hide the excess weight better. But I also have a tall friend who looked far, far heavier than me but weighed the same amount, so it's not always height that makes a difference. And it can be just as difficult finding clothes at the opposite extreme. I to go to the men's department to find clothing. It's fine for gym clothes and shoes, but have you ever had any luck finding a nice dress for church in that department? ;) ;)

 

I really do commiserate with you! Being at **either** extreme has it's drawbacks. I can see the quandry you're in. I'd check with the specialist and get his info and opinion before making a decision.

[LizzyBee]

.

 

I developed a hypothisis about how height affects spouse selection based on observations of my family and the guys in college. :) :) My father and uncles ALL married short women. My father was the short one in his family at 6'2. Most of my uncles were around 6'6. My father's sister and mother (5'9 or so) both married short men (5'-9 or so). I noticed this same pattern in college. All the guys over 6' dated short girls while I dated guys either shorter than me or my height. My dh is only 1 1/2" taller than me -- the tallest guy I've ever dated.

 

Hypothesis -- Tall people generally marry short people in the hopes that their children will be average in height and be able to BUY CLOTHES OFF THE RACK. No need for expensive "talls", custom made clothes or alterations. This is a frugal lifestyle choice!

 

Interesting theory! I am 5'0" and dh is 6'4" (and he's not the tallest guy I ever dated). After dh's mother met me, dh asked her what she thought. She said I was nice, but asked "why do you only ever date short girls?"

[Kathy in MD]

I don't know where this fits in with your hypothesis--but my oldest's young man is 6' 4". She's only 5' 10" However, her LEGS are two inches LONGER than his! It'll be fun to see how their kids turn out--if they get her legs and his torso--they're going to be 7 feet tall! (he has a brother that's 7' 1") On the other hand, they could end up with one that has his legs, and her torso, and that one will be 5 feet tall... Hmmm... :laugh:

 

There's always an exception to the rule ;)

[OnTheBrink]

I don't know if this ties in or not. I have no experience with growth hormones at all. But, I have a very good friend who's son grew 13 inches in the course of a year. He developed Ewing's Sarcoma, a cancer that seems to show up in children who grow fast, and passed away at age 19 last year. Only 20% of those diagnosed survive. The reason I even mention this is, IF hormones cause a rapid growth, there could be a chance of this heinous cancer. Like I said, I have no idea if there's a connection between GH and rapid growth, but there is a connection between rapid growth and this cancer. So, I thought I'd toss it out there. At the very least, it can't hurt to ask about cancer risks with these hormones in general.

[Pongo]

.

Hypothesis -- Tall people generally marry short people in the hopes that their children will be average in height and be able to BUY CLOTHES OFF THE RACK. No need for expensive "talls", custom made clothes or alterations. This is a frugal lifestyle choice!

 

I am 5"2 my husband is 6"4, all my kids are off the charts for height and 50% for weight. My 10 yod dd is almost my height already:001_huh:. My husband wants our kids to be TALL, and was worried because he thought the girls would be taller than my ds who, is growing inches daily it seems like. I asked him if he married me for my height, and he said, "It was your killer smile that got me." Who knew the two years of braces in HS, would get me such a catch:lol: