I’m curious - my son has always been kinda small. Recently he turned 10 yo and I plotted his height on the CDC growth chart at he is exactly at the 5th percentile. He is otherwise normal maybe a bit immature for his age but a normal kid. I am quite tall at 6’2” abd his mother is normal height 5’5”. When should I worry about this and consider pediatric endo consult? Or should I just forget about it and hope for a growth spurt in puberty? Is GHT given just for predicted short height as an adult?
Growth hormone therapy
- Thread starter RADRULES
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It's hard to get a full picture from an internet post but there are some guidelines from the AAP and the AAFP. As parents we aren't always objective (myself included!) so your best route is to see your pediatrician who can most thoroughly evaluate your child's needs. At least yearly check ups are normal in 10 year olds, but it's totally reasonable to schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns here.
www.aafp.org
Evaluation of Short and Tall Stature in Children
Short stature is defined as a height more than two standard deviations below the mean for age (less than the 3rd percentile). Tall stature is defined as a height more than two standard deviations above the mean for age (greater than the 97th percentile). The initial evaluation of short and tall...
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Always been small could mean something is wrong, or it could be normal and he's just physiologically delayed. A lot of it depends on the specifics that you should not get into on the internet, so talk to his pediatrician. Growth hormone is not the cure all for short stature, either. Years of therapy may only improve height by 1-2 inches in someone who is not *truly* growth hormone deficient.
