Question 1

My child's height: what should I look at before comparing with peers?

Accepted Answer

How many centimeters your child grew over the past year matters more than where their current height ranks among peers. We look at whether the growth rate is slowing.

Question 2

How true is the idea of a "golden time" for growth?

Accepted Answer

It is true that the room to grow differs by age. But "now or never" is an exaggeration, and it's not right to use it to rush people.

Question 3

How do you decide whether it's fine to keep watching instead of starting growth treatment?

Accepted Answer

There are cases where it's fine to watch and cases where it isn't. What decides it is not age, but how far the bones have developed.

Question 4

Why does precocious puberty affect final adult height?

Accepted Answer

When puberty starts early, the child grows faster than peers for a while, but the growth plates close that much earlier too. The growing period is shortened, so the child loses out in final height.

Assessing growth