Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, FAAP

Dear Dr. Gwenn,

My son is 8.5 years old. I am worried about his height. He is only 4 feet tall and 55 lbs. I am 4 feet 10 inches tall and my husband is 5 feet 9 inches tall. As per the internet calculation, my son's growth potential is 5 feet and 6.5 inches. In the last year, he has gained only 1 inch. I am afraid that he may not be able to touch 5 feet and 6.5 inches. Can you suggest something?

Signed,
Alka

Dear Alka:

According to a standard growth chart, your son is just below the 50 percentile for weight and just above the 10 percentile for height. I can understand your concern since your son is on the lower end of the height spectrum for his peer group.

At the same time, both you and your husband are on the shorter side population wise. So, there may not be anything to be done. Keep in mind that your son has not yet started puberty. Many boys who are short before puberty do sprout up during puberty. The only growth issue that we can do something about is growth hormone deficiency which is very rare but can be diagnosed by a pediatric endocrinologist. Given your concerns, talk to your pediatrician to have your son evaluated more formally for "short stature".

Best,
Dr. Gwenn

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About the Author
Pediatrician, Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Gwenn is an experienced columnist, educator, and practicing pediatrician. Dr. Gwenn strives to write as if she were talking to a parent. As a parent herself, she knows how important it is to obtain information but also understand how precious little time parents have to find that information on the internet. Pediatrics Now was developed to fill that gap and provide a bridge between the parenting and pediatrics worlds.

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