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14.5 year DS very short - see doctor?

27 replies

Rumors1 · 22/09/2025 10:22

I dont know whether I am being over anxious about this issue. My DS is 14.5 and is 143cm (4 ft 8.5 inches). He is obviously very short and is noticeably smaller than his peers. We are a relatively short family:
Me 5ft
DH 5ft 10
DD (almost 18) 5 ft 2
DS (almost 16) 5ft 5

Our parents are all very short, my parents are 5ft and 5 ft 3, his are 4 ft 10 and 5 ft 8
His sisters are just over 5 ft, my sis is 5 ft 2 and brother 5ft 3
So all small men in the family and I expect DS will just be small.

My other son was the same height at 14 and he grew almost 8 inches in 2 years. He started puberty at 14 ie body hair and odour.

DS seems to be about 6 months behind him. DS is only starting puberty now, he is very young looking, no hair under arms and only starting to get some pubic hair. I noticed a smell of BO off him the other day, which was the first time ever.

I was very small as a child, my mam did a wrist x ray but it showed all normal, just short.
I expect DS will be the same. Unfortunately he is also very slim.
If affects him so much, he hates being small. He plays loads of sports and is very good but really struggling at the moment because of his size. Most of his team mates and opponents are like men at this age. He is only up to between elbow and shoulder height on some of them There are a couple of small boys but I can see they are starting to leave him behind.

As he is starting puberty I assume there is no growth issue and he just has the short genes. He has fallen off the growth chart in the past couple of months. I have actually never seen a child his age shorter than him :(
I expect if I go to GP he will just say short genes but wonder would it be worthwhile to ge wrist x ray and blood tests.

OP posts:
Rumors1 · 22/09/2025 10:47

Thank you. Yes sorry I should have added that one reason for my reluctance is that I am trying not to make a big deal of it with him. I remember being taken for the wrist xray and asking why I needed one and my mam trying to convince me that I hurt my wrist when I knew I hadnt! It was only years later I realized what it was for. I dont want to hoodwink DS.

OP posts:
Saltandpepperlife · 22/09/2025 10:35

If your son is up for getting checked over then go for it, it can do no harm. But you need to prepare him that chances are he is all fine and just on the shorter side, which to be honest going by your family heights suggests that there is nothing wrong with him.

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