Boy starting puberty late

[lovinmyboys]

Does anyone want to share experiences with this? I’m trying to be mindful of privacy, but just wondering how it turned out. 
 

DS is newly 14 and had a recent dr appoint. The doctor said no sign of puberty and after 14 it is considered delayed. He said it is often genetic and nothing to worry about (if parents were also delayed). I started my period at 13. Dh has no idea anything about his puberty experience, but from looking at pics I am sure he started before high school.
 

Anyway, how concerned should I be? DS is handling it mostly well, but is ready to grow. Dh says I shouldn’t worry and ds will be big and stinky and emotional soon.

I have been reading online and everything seems to say if puberty hasn’t started by 14 see a dr. Well, I happened to do that and it seemed like the dr said just enough to make me think about it, but didn’t really say what to do. I’m guessing there is nothing to do. 

[maggie18]

I would request  that the doctor do some tests.  This article explains what kinds of tests.   Maybe a referral to an endocrinologist?

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=delayed-puberty-90-P01947

[maggie18]

Does he have a poor sense of smell?

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/Delayed-Puberty.aspx

[PinkTulip]

My DS was late to puberty. At age 13, he was the several inches shorter than all of his friends, and had no other signs going on. We took him to a pediatric endocrinologist, who ran a bone age scan. It’s been several years, but I think it was basically like an x-ray. The test showed my son had a bone age of 11.1 years, meaning he was about 2 years behind where his peers were. And honestly, he grew like 6 inches his junior year of high school, and is still going. He just finished his freshman year of college and has grown about an inch this year. He is now close to 6’. 

[matrips]

I have two 15.5 yo boys that have just started growing in the past few months.  They are so relieved!  They’re still shorter than their triplet sister but it won’t be for long.   My dh was concerned though so about a year ago I had our ped do a blood test and X-ray to check their growth hormones/plates.  They said they had plenty of growth in their future and not to worry.

[Ottakee]

A bone age scan (read by a pediatric Endo, not just a regular radiologist) and basic blood work will give you some information to go on.

[WendyLady]

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/687/small-things-considered

I listened to a "this american life" episode that talks about the worry of being too short or growing late, you might like the section that talks about parents asking for HGH.

I am short, one of my daughters is barely over 5 feet tall. When our son started his freshman year he was the smallest kid by far on his high school soccer team, even the 8th graders who played up were taller than him. He was shorter than his "big sister" mentioned above.  With a short mom and short sisters I really worried that he would be very short - which didn't worry me for his sisters but did cause me some occasional anxiety for him. He didn't seem to mind, though, and I never wanted him to think that I thought there was something wrong with him.

By his sophomore year he was still small but there was one smaller boy on the soccer team which was a relief.  He started to grow that year at 15 years old, and was several inches taller than his sister by the end of the school year. He is now getting ready to start his senior year and is nearly his dad's height at 5'11" and seems to still be growing. Honestly, by the time he was 5'5" I felt better... He has friends both taller and shorter than him - normal is such a large range!!

[Terabith]

My husband didn't really get chest hair and fully complete puberty until he was 25.  

[PrincessMommy]

My oldest son was late.  We was shorter than his next youngest sibling (my daughter) for a long time.  In fact, they were still giving him cups with a lid and straw (like they do for little kids) at the restaurants when he was in his teens and he younger sibling would get a regular "adult" cup.  He would be so 😡  obviously.  I do remember when we first started teaching him to drive (so about 15.9-16yrs) he was still very short.   I remember being worried because my family all mature early and are quite tall.  My dh and his family are late bloomers and short (I'm taller than my dh).   Of course, we wanted our son's to be taller than dad.    DS now over 6' tall  and married.  

I guess if there's no history of late blooming or shortness on either side of the family, it might be worth it to get some testing done now.  I would also talk with the dr. about what would happen if you waited until he was 16.  

 

[LostSurprise]

My youngest son is going through growth hormone treatments. Standard procedure is to get a referral to an endocrinologist from your primary care doctor. They'll do blood tests and maybe a bone age scan. If his bones read younger, they may chose to revisit the issue in a year or two. If he's closer to puberty, they may do a trial test run with growth hormone to see how his body reacts. If he reacts positively they may offer hormone injections. The injections are daily, but are subcutaneous so it's not at all like getting blood drawn (my son doesn't like blood draws but will do these). 
 

I'd say, unless it bothers your son and is something he wishes to pursue, wait for next year. Almost all of mine were delayed. 🤨Seriously, the next oldest sibling was shorter and younger-looking than almost everyone until 15. Bam! Then it hit like a freight train. Doctors like to have everything within a neat window and were talking to us about delayed puberty since 13, but they were still fine with us waiting until over 15 to start treatment. 

[Ailaena]

Xh was delayed, 4-11 junior year, 6’ senior year and it took a very long time for body and facial hair. DD was delayed, but not by too long   

Even though it probably usually works out for most people,  i’d still see somebody if I could, early intervention in case of an issue and whatnot.  

[klmama]

I've known several boys who hit puberty late.  From what I remember, their paths were very different.  None used hormones.

One had always been a very tall child; he was already 5'10" when he finally hit puberty at 16, and he grew to 6'4", significantly taller than both his parents.  Very little facial hair.  

Another had always been short and had known bone age delay of 2-3 years; he also hit puberty around 16 and grew to 5'7"ish, just like his father.  Lots of facial hair. 

Another had always been extremely short and throughout high school looked about 5 years younger than he was; he was 5'3"ish at high school graduation, but at 19 he started growing and within a year grew to 6'4", just like his father.  Very little facial hair.   He also developed severe mental illness, which I was told sometimes correlates with significant growth after adulthood; however, I remember him as being unstable in high school, too, so I don't know if it was actually related.  

 

 

 

  

 

[hellen]

I went to high school with a boy who had late puberty.  At graduation he was around 5'5".  A few years later he was over 6' tall and completely unrecognizable.  His voice, body, and face had changed.  

[Ottakee]

I would suggest at least getting the bone age x ray (usually of the wrist).  Reason being is that if it is not behind the actual age then the window for treatment (if needed) is much smaller.  If it is delayed, then you can easily do the watch and wait.