To take DD to the GP because she is short?

[WeetabixTowels]

Through the summer hols DS (6) has shot up height wise. He doesn’t fit into anything he was wearing at the start of the summer. He’s tall for his age.

He is now only slightly shorter than DD (10). Same parents, neither of us are especially short (I’m 5’6 DH 5’7). She finishes her plate after every meal. Eating isn’t a problem. She drinks the recommended amount of water a day. No health problems.

But she’s only 125cm tall. The height of a 7yo. She’s only grown a few inches in 2 years. She’s wearing the same clothes she did when she was 8. I’m actually worried - why isn’t she growing!

Would it be completely neurotic and batshit crazy to take her to the GP?

I took my daughter when she was about 12-she wasn’t growing and was the tiniest in the school. The GP told me to fatten her up with cream but the dentist said it wasn’t a diet issue-her teeth were very late. She got referred to a paediatrician and she had a bone age 2-3 years younger, normal pre pubertal uterus and ovaries. When she broke her wrist age 14, the radiologist couldn’t believe it healed so quickly-until I told him about her bone age. Then age 16 she developed, grew and now she has old schoolmates saying they can’t believe she’s not tiny anymore-she’s petite about 5’4 but certainly not the smallest. So she was just late-and has grown taller than some kids who dwarfed her at 11. But getting a referral gave us peace of mind that it wasn’t anything other than late development.

Yes exactly. It might be something, it might not be, and the GP is the first port of call to figure it out.

Yes I would log it with Gp. Ask to see consultant. There may be little that can be done, and some parents don't want to take medicines, they are contentious. But I'd still want it investigated.

All of my children were referred to the Growth Clinic at Great Ormond Street. Definitely speak to the Doctor. Don’t be put off if they won’t help. It is Important to get her checked. You might have to insist. I was lucky to have a brilliant doctor who supported me throughout.

Sounds like my 2. Ds 7 is sane shoe size about 5cm shorter than my dd10. But my dd has coeliacs so that's why. Also been told to fatten her up- she eats loads! get her checked.

Just to add a different view - maybe your daughter is just short, and maybe your son will just be tall? Do you or your husband have any family members that are tall who your son is taking more after?

IME I am 30 and just 5ft (I literally stopped growing at about 12/13 years old), my DP is roughly 5 ft 6. Our son is 5 and is already about 115cm. We just think he takes after his paternal Uncle who is about 6ft 2. FWIW my partner and his brother are both different statures.

My DD was tiny until she hit about 14/15, then she shot up. She started her periods at 14 and grew a lot after they started. She’s now taller than me and at 18 appears to be still growing, she gained another couple of cm over the summer, I’m sure.

Go to GP. Dropping down chart like that needs investigation.

Just an anecdotal reassurance - I was average height until I was 7, when I suddenly became much shorter than all my classmates. My parents took me to the GP, tests done etc, nothing was found.

I started my periods quite early at 10, then shot up and stopped growing at 13 when I reached my adult height of 5’ 6’’ (am now actually 5 inches taller than my Mum and only 3 inches shorter than my Dad).

Definitely worth getting your DD checked over but sometimes it is nothing to worry about - as I prove!

One possibility would be Turner’s Syndrome. This is diagnosed by a chromosome karotype analysis from a blood sample.

I have Turner Syndrome and thought about this. I wasn't diagnosed til 16 so missed out on the chance of growth hormones which are so good for so much more than adding height. I would mention to G.P even just to get it ruled out. My mum was fobbed off that I was just small and cute when she brought up the fact I was small if we'd known about Turners she could have asked for the tests earlier. It took a different locum GP to consider it and have me tested.

GP.
DS was the same. Always smallish, but it was the lack of growth which sent me to GP.
He has a thyroid condition.
Once on levothyroxine he started growing again.
Was someone on MN who urged me to contact GP

I've got 6 children but I have no idea what a percentile is!

I know there is professional advice on periods and hormones quoted above but anecdotally I was tiny and much much shorter than my peers all the way through junior and high school - often directed by teachers who didn't know me to the junior school grounds when I was in year 8, so it was really obvious!

My periods started at 13, I was 5ft, I grew to 5ft 1.5 by 14 and stopped. We were told that was as tall as I'd get. Suddenly at 17, almost exactly 4years after my first period I grew over a period of 3-4 months to 5ft 6.

My cousin was the same - suddenly grew 5 inches one summer just before uni. So some girls can grow a lot later