is 113cm in height worryingly small for a 5yr old ?

[Pancakeflipper]

DS was seeing his consultant today at hospital. Our GP had wrote an update letter regarding DS.

3 issues in the letter from GP - and 1 issue was DS "is worryingly small for his height. "

The nurse always weighs/measures when we see the consultant. Today he is 113cm.

I have never thought to worry about his height..... he looks average to me.

Still bemused by this and I cannot find that bloody book with the centile in it.

[WowOoo]

'Small for his height' is different to 'short for his age'.

Is he quite thin?

[Contraryish]

My daughter is 8. She is 116 cm. I wouldn't worry.

But did he say worryingly small, or worryingly small for his height, i.e. tall and skinny. What does he weigh? Mine is 3st 5 lb or 21 kg.

[Seeline]

At exactly 5yo that is between 75th and 91st percentile so I wouldn't have said it was worryingly small!!
My DD is nearly 10 and she is only 128cm - she is small, but no medical professional has ever commented on it.
My Ds was that sort of height at that age, and now at 12.5 he is probably just above the average in his class of all boys.

[Undertheboredwalk]

I've just got our redbook out and 113cm at age 5 pits him just over the 75th centile. Dr is clearly talking rubbish!

[WowOoo]

That does not make sense, sorry!

Does the GP think he's too thin for a child of 113cm or that 113cm is too short for his age?

[Undertheboredwalk]

Just re-read and worryingly small for his height does sound like the dr thinks he's underweight rather than small. What was his weight?

[hazeyjane]

Looking at ds's chart, 113 cm for a 5 year old is approx 75th centile, so not short at all?!

Ds is 4 and just under the centile lines!

[RoganJosh]

www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/page/NEW%20Boys%202-18yrs%20(4TH%20JAN%202013).pdf

Shows the centiles.

[hazeyjane]

Ah, yes small for height sounds like a concern over weight?

[RoganJosh]

If he's 75th centile for height and about 5, then he would be around 3 stone according to the charts.

[Boudica1990]

Im only 47cm taller than your 5 year old !! Wow I'm short... I would t worry about his height, it sounds.more like there is a concern for his weight. Is he quite thin?

[Pancakeflipper]

I am sure at weigh-in today they said he is 18kg (no shoes but school uniform on).

He was a chunky baby but has slimmed out especially leg-wise. That fits our family size -siblings are very skinny, the knobbly knee kids with stick legs - in fact he's not as slim as them. He has chubby cheeks!

Thank you for sharing your shapes and sizes - it's not something to be worried about but probably just be aware of.
Thank you lovely people. Appreciate the info and reassurance.

[poorbuthappy]

My twins are 105cm at 5.5

[Enb76]

That's a concern about weight, not height.

[fledermaus]

The NHS BMI calculator puts 113cm and 18kg at 9th centile for a 5 yo boy - slim but still healthy.

[Seeline]

That weight is between 25th and 50th percentiles for 5 yo - so much lower than his height would indicate.

[fledermaus]

A difference of a centile or two between height and weight isn't worryingly skinny though. My DS is similar, 50th for height and just below 25th for weight and has a low but healthy BMI.

[CustardFromATin]

Agree it sounds like a weight concern. Can you see what the weight was when measured by the nurse? The school weigh in could have had quite a different number, variances between scales, what was eaten for breakfast and clothing could easily sway it 1-2kgs either way.

[306235388]

Dd is 3 and 112cm and is the same height as most of the 5 year olds we know so If have thought that height wise he was average just maybe a bit skinny.

[Sirzy]

DS is 4.5 and 105 cm (and 17kg) nothing has ever been mentioned at his hospital appointment about his height/weight

[Percephone]

What is his weight?

[Percephone]

Oh sorry you said 18kg. Well if that is around 25th centile and his height is 75th centile perhaps that is the concern?

[Pancakeflipper]

I think you could be right Percephone. Looking at it like that there looms to be a difference. Thing is, genetically we are more of a runner bean shape than a marrow. And he looks chunkier than he weighs...

Would be easy for the clothing manufacturers if we were all the same shape.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Yes, I read that comment as being a weight concern rather than a height one.

That said, I wouldn't worry if you are happy that DS is eating well enough. We once worried ourselves sick when a Consultant told us that DS1's head was "worryingly huge", and that it was almost certainly a sign of something sinister.

He is 17 this year. It wasn't anything to worry about. He's just got a big head! As have I & as did my DM.

[Percephone]

I wouldn't worry too much if he looks healthy and is eating well. Some children are just slim! My baby's weight is 25th centile and his head is 91st. We all have big heads