Is it true that there's a "golden time" for height?

What we often hear

• "I don't know if now is the time to start."
• "I can't decide whether it's okay to wait."
• "I'm anxious that we'll miss the right time."

Is it true that there's a "golden time" for height?

It's true that the room to grow differs by stage. But saying "it's now or never" is an exaggeration, and using it to rush parents is not right.

The phrase "golden time" is often used when talking about growth. Because it's easily used to make parents anxious and rush them, we'll separate what's true from what's exaggerated.

What part is true?

Once puberty begins, children grow fast for a while, then stop as the growth plates close. So it's true that the years before puberty are when there's more room to work with.

After the growth plates close, the bones don't get any longer. That much is clear. So knowing where your child is in this timeline helps with planning.

What part is exaggerated?

Saying that nothing can be done once a certain age has passed. How much growing time is left is judged not by age but by bone age and how far puberty has progressed.

Even at the same age, the remaining time differs from child to child. Concluding it's too late based only on age isn't accurate. When we check, there is sometimes room left.

On the other hand, if a child is still young but their bone age is ahead, the remaining time is short. Age alone can't tell you which it is.

Then when is a good time to get checked?

When the growth rate has slowed noticeably, or when signs of puberty start to appear. These two points are worth checking.

There's no need to rush, but it's good to collect records ahead of time. If you measure and write down your child's height at the same time every year, those records will be the most useful when it's time to decide.

What are the limits of this assessment?

We don't have numbers on how much our care changes final height. So we don't recommend rushing because of timing.

Let us be clear. Pushing a decision with "if you don't start now, it'll be too late" is something we try not to do. Get checked, then decide. And it's better not to leave the check too late.

Summary for parents

1. It's true that the room to grow differs by stage.
2. But saying "it's now or never" is an exaggeration.
3. Remaining growing time is judged not by age but by bone age and the progress of puberty.
4. Get checked when growth slows or when signs of puberty appear.
5. Measuring and recording height at the same time every year is the most useful thing you can do.

We start by checking where your child is right now. We won't rush you, and we'll tell you, based on evidence, whether it's fine to wait or not.

If you're not sure whether to wait or act now, come see us. We'll check where your child is right now, and we won't rush you.

Remaining growing time differs from child to child, and so does the right time to decide.