14.5 year DS very short - see doctor?

[Rumors1]

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.

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.

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.

Is so hard isn’t it to know what to do for the best. If puberty is just starting maybe see how it affects him in the next few months. He could suddenly grow a few inches quickly.

By all means go to the doctor if it will reassure you but given your family history it is most likely that there is nothing wrong.

You say yourself that DS2 appears to be just starting puberty and your other DS grew 8" after he went through the same, so it may be a little premature to start worrying at this point.

Your DH is average height for a UK male, he is not short at all, and it's very possible both your DS' will continue to grow.

Don’t let him compensate by doing a lot of weight training during his puberty. Had a mate who stunted his growth that way - because very stocky and “built” but seemed to be at the expense of height

I think you should get him checked as soon as possible.

This happened to a friend's son and he turned out to have a very serious growth issue (pituitary). She held off for ages, then finally sought help and treatment was urgently started, just in time apparently, as the window for doing so was almost past. The boy's growth then proceeded and he is a nice height now as a young man.

On my part, I regret not voicing my worry about his growth in his early teenage years. I don't think she was truly aware of how small he was as she was so close to the situation. Sometimes, holding back for fear of causing offence isn't the best thing.

Wishing you and your boy all the best. X

I agree with the PPs about getting him checked. You lose nothing and have piece of mind. Yes of course he may be just very small, no surprise with your family history. But there may also be something else underlying, which you’ll never know unless you take him to the doctors. Good luck!

I would just caution, my son had an X-ray on his sprained wrist, at about 12 - where I was told, incidentally, that his growth plates’ were nearly closed.

He went on to grow another 9’’ and at (almost) 17 he is now 5’ 10’’ - and in fact grew another inch last year..

I don’t know how common this is.

I’ll say that we too are a short family. I’m 5’. My eldest, is around 5’ 7’’, and at 19 hasn’t grown at all in about 5 years.

Similar situation to my son, he’s 14 and 4ft 9, not started puberty yet I don’t think, but I’m not 100% sure what counts. he has no armpit hair, chest or pubic hair, no voice cracks etc. don’t know about his dad but I did start a bit late with periods. I think I’m going to have to go the the GP but I worry what his reaction will be to it. Bit lost really

My friend took her son in similar circumstances. He wasn't bothered at all, but went along with it for her sake. In the end they didn't find anything untoward and he eventually hit puberty at around 15 or 16. He's now around 5'10" and has discovered weights. Still only shaves once a week though as he's so fair!

I delayed seeking help for my son because I wanted to protect his feelings . He had puberty early and did not look noticeably short . It turned out he was short of growth hormone and he grew noticeably when he started it . He was 15 and it took almost a year for him to be seen and to start the treatment . Everything for us depended on whether the hormone levels were low which they were in his case . It is my single biggest regret of my life that the first time I sought help from the GP I was turned away and did not insist . The second time I went we were referred but it was almost too late by then but even then the growth hormone did make a difference .
It should be fine to insist on being checked. They can not know just by looking .

My DS has had these checks, he's just behind growth wise, but will be a normal adult height, just late. It hasn't traumatised him at all, any more than a blood test for anything does!

I approached it as needing to rule out that he was coeliac, as that can affect your height and there are a few autoimmune things in the family. He knows friends with dietary issues, so wasn't phased. Can you link up anything like that? It's already bothering him so that would be a natural way in " are you worried about your size, we can check there's nothing wrong if it would help."

I'll be honest, that my DS was actually hoping he'd have a hormonal problem, take some medicine and sprout up overnight, so do prepare him for the different outcomes.

Also, if he's sporty, my DD (big for her age) has had these checks done through a specialist sport training programme, to dictate the levels safe for her in terms of weightbearing and endurance, so there might be something like that near you.

What do they check for on a first visit?

I was 4f11 at 14 now at 39 im still 4f11.
I never grow any more.
My son was the smallest in his year at 14 at 5.1 now at 23 hes 6f2 he shot up over night.
Definitely get it checked out to put your mind at ease.

@TakeMeToBath ·
Please insist on a full check as soon as possible - if puberty is delayed, nothing will be lost. If he has a problem, time is critical or it is too late. Listen to MrsFruitbat...

Get him checked. MyDS is 17 and we have been seeing an endocrinologist. DS has a bone age of 14 and is still in puberty.

Thanks so much for all your responses.
@TakeMeToBath my DS has only starting showing some signs of puberty in the last couple of weeks - he said he is starting to get a few pubic hairs and I noticed a smell of BO from him. He is 14.5.

I was late starting puberty, didnt get my period until almost 17 but DD got hers the month of her 14th birthday. Maybe DS is a late developer like me.

@BigHouseLittleHouse its funny you say that, my nephew is only about 5ft 7 at almost 18 years but he started weight lifting at 14 to bulk up and compensate for his short stature. His dad is over 6ft and mam 5ft 2, he is the smallest of the men in his family.

@HollyhockDays was that done via an xray or Dexa scan?

@MrsFruitbat can I ask what height your son was at 14 and were there other signs?

It was done via xray.

Two of my DS had delayed puberty. They were referred to an endocrinologist who monitored their growth and development. It put our minds at rest and was worth doing.

On the basis he is upset about it himself I would take him . If there is no issue then you both get reassurance , if there is an issue then it can be addressed

It does sound like things are slowly kicking in for him then and there is development going on. That is quote late getting your period so I have no doubt it’ll be genetics and he will be a late bloomer. Is he mainly worried about his height?

Age 14 isn’t likely to be delayed puberty in boys, as you have said he is now showing signs, and he isn’t going to start his growth spurt until he gets into puberty. However you said he has dropped off centiles for growth, so definitely make an appointment with your GP, and if you are in the UK take your Red book.

Yes I'd get him checked

Sorry I just saw this. He was healthy and always looked reasonably normal possibly slightly short compared to his peers and he reached puberty early around 12-13. He grew and we were delighted but then he stopped . A lot of his friends then reached puberty and shot up and he was noticeably at least 6-8 inches shorter . At the hospital they measured his actual growth hormone levels and they were low .
The Consultant said that everything for her depended on what the level was and whether they were normal.He had a cyst on his pituitary which may have affected things . He did grow at once when he had the injections but it was very late and I do wish I had asked for assessment earlier .
He is about 5 ft 5 now as an adult and will have to make the best he can of it .