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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Do you think my extreamly tall daughter might have a growth disorder??

53 replies

mummyloveslucy · 22/12/2013 20:07

Hi, my daughter was quite a long baby, but weighed 6lb 12oz. Quite normal. She then grew very quickly and has followed the 99.9th percentile most of her life. I believe she's now off the scale.
She will be 9 at the end of February and she is currently 5 foot 10 and weighs 7 stone 12. Her feet are a 5.5.
She has started puberty, and has breast buds and some pubic and underarm hair. She also has learning difficulties and poor balance/co-ordination. She finds it hard to walk long distances, due to twisted tibia's, awkward foot positioning and poor muscle tone. She has to wear special boots to help keep her ankles straight.
I am 5 foot 6 and her dad is 5 foot 10. I was tall as a child but not as tall as my daughter. I'm just wondering how tall she'll be as an adult and weather or not it's normal for a child to be this big at her age. It's a nightmare buying clothes as she ranges between an age 13 and an adult size 12.
I'm wondering weather a doctor might advise something to slow down her growth rate and delay puberty? Do any of you have experience of this? Thanks

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Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 22/12/2013 20:09

Oops, I meant 4 foot 10.

OP posts:

octopusinasantasack · 22/12/2013 20:09

See your GP.

octopusinasantasack · 22/12/2013 20:10

Ah, 4 foot 10. I was saying see your GP on the basis on 5 foot 10!
Maybe she is just going to be tall? Some children stop growing earlier than others - my very short mother was the tallest in the school at the end of primary school and the shortest in the school very early on in high school.

RandomMess · 22/12/2013 20:13

She sounds "solid" for height hence her needing such older in age clothes as much as her height?

somedizzywhore1804 · 22/12/2013 20:14

I was that tall at her age- possibly taller. I know I was 5ft by my tenth birthday. As an adult I'm only 5ft 7 so she may just be an early grower.

Kaffiene · 22/12/2013 20:18

See your GP and ask for a referral to the endocrine team.

Sounds like early (also called precocious) puberty which may be related to her SN. My daughter is younger but sounds similar. I think we are going to have to start hormone treatment in the next 6 months as there is no way she is mature enough the handle puberty. There can also be issues with rapid growth associated with puberty happening before the bones are dense enough but the endocrine people will be able to talk you through it far better than I can!

Ememem84 · 22/12/2013 20:20

I was tall. Still am. 5'10.

confusedofengland · 22/12/2013 20:24

You do just get some ladies who are very tall, of course. I have one female cousin who is around 6'2" & a female friend who is 6'3" (both are now in their thirties). They are also both fairly well-built - not fat by any means, but solid to suit their height.

I reached 5'5" by age 11, and remember being the tallest pupil in my junior school for a couple of years. But then I didn't grow much more & ended up an entirely average 5'7.5". I started puberty fairly early, with my periods starting at age 9, I was the only girl in my junior school to have periods then. It was fine, apart from the once per month I couldn't attend swimming lessons with my classmates.

barleysugar · 22/12/2013 20:26

Have you heard of Marfans syndrome? Might be worth finding out if she is affected, it can get missed amazingly and get picked up through other means like routine eye tests!

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 22/12/2013 20:27

So there is hope that she won't end up a giant.

I will speak to the GP about the endocrine team.

OP posts:

scrazy · 22/12/2013 20:28

Once periods start, girls generally only grow a couple of inches more, and the growth plates close a couple of years later. So a 5ft 1 10 year old who has started young might stop growing at 12 at 5ft 3. Her smaller friends might start at 14 at 5ft 4 and grow to 5ft 6.

Gomez · 22/12/2013 20:28

DD2 was 9 past June. She is 5 foot tall, has size 5 feet, weighs around 7.5 stone. Had breast buds, pubic hair (but no underarm hair) but no periods. Slightly sweaty armpits too.

DD1 was similar - periods came along at 11 she has stopped growing just slightly below my giddy height of 5' 3' which pisses her off no end.

I was this height at 11, started periods at 10 went to secondary school wearing a 32 B bra.

Precocious puberty is defined as before 8 I believe.

Saying all that the SN make it worthwhile getting her checked for a hormone issue if there is no history within you family. I would think long and hard about hormone treatments however - they are not a trivial intervention particularly if a border line case.

Idespair · 22/12/2013 20:28

She's 8y10m and 4ft10. It's tall, but I know similar/taller kids of the same age who don't have growth disorders, so she may be fine.

That said, it sounds like she is at the puberty stage and often girls don't grow a huge amount after this so you may find that although she is very tall now, she may be average height once she is an adult.

I don't think a doc would do anything to slow growth at this stage. Or delay puberty as she's nearly 9. I think starting periods at 9 is non uncommon these days. My friend's 10y4m dd just started hers.

mercibucket · 22/12/2013 20:29

does she have hypermobility/ehlers danloss? a specialist might be able to advise about height

piratecat · 22/12/2013 20:30

sounds similar to my dd, whose dad is just over 6t, but i am just over 5 ft.

She is prob just having a slightly earlier than normal puberty growth spurt.

my dd got breast buds at 8 1/2. periods at 9 1/2. shot up at age 9 into size 5 shoes, and about 4t 10.

It's not precocious puberty at that age. Just on the early side.

Shellywelly1973 · 22/12/2013 20:31

My dd was 5'14lbs at birth.

She's 12 now & 5'8. She wears a 7 shoe. Size 14 clothes. I'm 5'2 & 2 shoe. Size 8 clothes.

I would take your daughter to the GP if your concerned but chances are she's just tall.

piratecat · 22/12/2013 20:33

just to add dd is now 11 3/4, has size 5.5 feet, 5ft 2. it's all slowed down, but i do think she will be taller than me when she's done.

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 22/12/2013 20:33

I haven't heard of marfans syndrome. I'll have to look it up. Thank you.

OP posts:

FCEK · 22/12/2013 20:33

My 10 year old niece is about that height. I wouldn't worry.

MadhbhORave · 22/12/2013 20:34

my dd is 4'10 and 11 in Feb. But she has tiny breasts so is on the cusp of the development spurt I'd say.

I guess your daughter is tall for nearly 9, but not unusually so.........???? There are children taller than my dd but their parents are much taller. I'd expect my DD's end height to be about 5'5", from yours and your husband's height I'd expect your dd to be about 5'5" too, from the calculation so she's definitely taller than one could expect given yours and your husbands heights.....

Might be worth getting her bloods checked.

My dd has a girl in her class and I can't understand how she is so small given her parents, so maybe she will develop later, or maybe genes are just throw some surprises at you.

insanityscatching · 22/12/2013 20:49

My dd was the same height as her best friend until she was about 11. Her best friend had parents who were both 6 foot tall. I'm just 5 foot and her df is about 5 foot 8.
Dd was about 5 foot at age 11 like her best friend when dd's periods started and her final height is 5 foot 2. Her friend started her periods later and is 6 foot tall.
Your dd might not end up being a tall adult even if she is quite tall for her age now though.

scrazy · 22/12/2013 20:55

Mine was tall for her age, then started around her 11th birthday is now 5ft 3 and smaller than most of her friends. I'm 5ft 2 (my sis a late started is 5ft 6) but her dad is about 5ft 11 so was surprised at her final height. It is all about timing of puberty. For boys too I believe.

TheGonnagle · 22/12/2013 20:56

Just wondering if she is particularly bendy? Does she have papery skin? Bruise easily? Scar easily?
Her physical description sounds a little like EDS, which is related to Marfans, which quite often has a typical shape of 'tall and thin' to simplify.

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 22/12/2013 21:00

Thanks everyone. It's reassuring to hear of other girls of a similar size who have grown to be a normal height.

My mum and my nan started puberty early. My nan started her periods at 9 and my mum was 10. It was classed as early in those days. I was about 12, I was tall but very thin.

my daughter is a bit chubby to look at as although her BMI is a healthy 23, it's made up of more fat, as she has poor muscle tone, and muscles weighs more than fat...

She also does have hyper mobility.

OP posts:

stillenacht · 22/12/2013 21:03

I was 5'6'' at 10 and my periods started at 10 and 4 mos

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