“Why is son's height is not growing as per the health chart?”
My son is 8 years old and is the shortest boy in his class. Although both me and my husband are at a average height. His seems to be way below the normal height range that is mentioned in his health chart. Could it be associated with some hormones?
7 Answers
If your son is below the 3rd percentile of his peers or he has been falling of the growth chart or he is not growing close to his genetic back ground, he needs initial evaluation by his primary care. If there are concerns about his growth he needs to be referred to a specialist. He should have a proper evaluation to exclude hormone deficiencies, anemias, gastrointestinal problems and other medical problems. After excluding the above conditions if he continues to show suboptimum growth, helping him with growth hormone could considered. Thanks
Yes, absolutely. I would strongly encourage an evaluation by a pediatric endocrinologist.
LG
LG
Several possibilities which range from benign to significant. The most common reason for this situation is constitutional growth delay, which is associated with a later onset of puberty. You already ruled out the most common reason: familial short stature. Less frequent, but serious problems include hormonal deficiencies, gastrointestinal disorders which can reduce
nutritional status, congenital heart disease and even some genetic syndromes. Assuming your child is overall healthy, CGD is a possibility based solely on how common it is. But the best action is to discuss with your son's doctor and decide if a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist would be in order.
nutritional status, congenital heart disease and even some genetic syndromes. Assuming your child is overall healthy, CGD is a possibility based solely on how common it is. But the best action is to discuss with your son's doctor and decide if a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist would be in order.
Stuart Jay Brink
Endocronologist (Pediatric)
The "short" answer is yes. But most height issues have a strong familial/genetic pattern so important to know about patterns of growth for the parents and grandparents to see if this is similar or dissimilar. Are there others in the family who were short or went into puberty later but then spontaneously caught up and could this be a similar benign pattern? A detailed history of pregnancy, birth weight and length, review of growth charts look for patterns. Same with a detailed history of other problems (celiac disease, underactive thyroid, for instance) and comparison between weight and height percentiles. Then detailed physical exam looking for conditions like Noonan Syndrome or others associated with short stature in boys. Then looking at a bone age xray to compare actual height and bone age plus some screening laboratory tests like IGF-1 and others that help sort out some subtleties. Finally, following height and weight every 3-6 months and plotting on the charts to see if there is any pattern or change that may require consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist for more specific evaluations. Special growth hormone stimulation testing is sometimes needed to help sort this out as well as brain MRI of the pituitary and hypothalamus regions where hormone are controlled.
See a board certified Pediatric Endocrinologist. We're experts in growth and puberty.
Yes, the most important condition to evaluate is growth hormone deficiency. You should take him to a pediatric endocrinologist to have him evaluated as soon as possible.
Your son may be a late bloomer which may result in him continuing to grow while his peers have stopped growing. He also could have a hormone problem or another medical condition. A medical provider should be able to look at your son's growth chart to see if there is a chance there is a hormone problem or not. If you are concerned, you should talk to your son's health care provider and ask if he/she thought your son needs screening tests or referral to a specialist.
