worried about ds height

[RT12]

hey everyone so I'm new to all this but jus looking some reassurance if anything. my ds is 4 will be 5 in June he is tiny for his age. he was referred to hospital about a recurring cough and they think he is asmatic but at the app the doctor brought up about how small he is in height I have noticed it but didn't think much about it as I am not that tall 5 3" and his dad is about 5 7", at the app I was told he is 92.5cm and since then he has started school and I can't help but worry myself now as its really noticeable he is the tiniest in the class also my dd who is 3 is the same height maybe slightly taller, I was told at the app they would like to see him in six months time about the asthma an to measure his height again they would no then if he hasn't grew I have now measured him myself and no he hasn't grown as he is still 92.5cm and I can't woop worrying about it I have received a letter that he will be seen again at the beginning of March which I am so happy about as I want answers I wasn't really worrying until then but now I can't help it has anyones child been in a similar situation? sorry for rambling lol

anyone?x

It may not be any help to you but I just wanted to share that my son is and has been the shortest in his year all the way through school. He is an August birthday but he would be well below average height compared to boys from the year below too. He's now coming up to 14 and hasn't hit puberty yet so I'm guessing he will shoot up over the next couple of years.

I was similar to him - I remember starting secondary school and a lot of my friends were a head taller than me. I was a late developer and didn't stop growing until I was 18 - I ended up at 6 foot tall and outgrew both my dad and brother! I remind my son of this when he complains about his height.

Were you or his Dad shorter than average as children? I don't think height as a child has a huge bearing on eventual adult height, particularly with boys where they experience huge growth over a couple of years in their teens.

It looks like his height is below the lowest centile on the uk growth charts. Do you have his baby book (they're called "red books" here, don't know if they're the same everywhere), you can check the chart in there and see if his growth has always followed that same pattern or if it has dropped off recently. Does he eat well?

thanks guys for your replies well I no I'm not overly tall or his dad but it seems like dd is growing rapidly compared to him she is the same height if not bigger and was only 3 in Oct. he is a very fussy eater but eats the things he likes pancakes toast certain fruits yogs etc the doctor did mention his weight was fine it was the height that was worrying to her and she ould be able to no I'm six months although I already no he hasn't grew as I've measured him myself. I no all grow at different stages and shouldn't jump to conclusions without knowing anything it's jus hard not to worry lol yes I have his red book I tried to plot it this morning but I don't no if i done I right.

On the height chart in the red book, where were the measurements done previously on the chart? Were they all just under the bottom centile line or were they higher up?

If you search online op for ‘growth percentile calculator’ it’s a lot easier.

If you have his red book you can also check his height from a while ago. From what I understand doctors worry when his height has dropped percentiles not just because he is short.

Does he have any other symptoms or problems? I had a growth disorder as a kid and had a hormone injection every month. It wasn’t a big deal at all to be honest. I’m fairly tall now actually.

I’m not a medical expert clearly but I am just saying not to worry too much!

yeah think i will jus have to put it to the back of my mind until the appointment and until I no for definite.

Sorry you’re worried OP. Are you absolutely certain you measured him correctly and that he’s exactly the same height at the appointment? I only ask because I know that I always have to measure my D.C. a few times as it’s easy to get it wrong and a few cm makes a difference in terms of centiles.

www.omnicalculator.com/health/child-height-percentile
This is the online calculator you need.

I’m a little shorter than you, OP, and my DH is a little taller than yours. My son is 7 and has been on the 1 centile for height his whole life. Yes, I sometimes worry about it, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your natural reaction there! But keep on with the doctor appointments and there will be things they will check and rule out.

Mine has an allergy so there was a concern that he could be missing something significant in his diet that was causing it rather than him just being short. Our appointments included seeing a diet and nutrition team at a children’s hospital and for a while we kept a very detailed diary of what he ate. That plus some blood work gave a good idea of what he needed in supplements and was a good use of our time. Some of the info from a nutrition team can seem really obvious but stick with it - remember they do see families of all extremes in eating habits so what’s obvious to one person isn’t to another. Let them carry on and it gets more relevant. We were also asked about his activity and sleep levels at those appointments, so it can be good to know if he gets tired quicker than his peers or if sleep is an issue.

There are other things that have nothing to do with what they eat so there may be a wide variety of tests. If they all come back clear, then they may just track growth over an extended time. Mine is right at the bottom of the chart, but as long as stays along that line, then they aren’t worried. One time he stopped growing for a while so they ran some more tests and then two months later he had a growth spurt and was back in line.

As for being the shortest in the class, somebody has to be! I was too. So don’t let that part bother you, but do keep on with the appointments (and push if you ever feel fobbed off) as it’s better to cross things off the list and put your mind more at ease.

Will cross my fingers you just have a happy, healthy shorty!

aek thank use so much for the lovely comments we'll I used a measuring tape and I'm deffo getting 92.5 it was when I rang my own gp she was able to tell me over rhe phone that was his height at the hospital app. awk I don't notice anything like he's very tired all the time actually the complete opposite he is always full of life loves running around playing football etc. but he is a very fussy eater very! I I mention all this at the hospital app i have wrote down questions and stored stored on my phone so i don't forget if it is jus because we aren't overly tall then so be it I think us mums jus find things to worry about lol!! I also notice it so much in clothes etc hus clothes from last year still fit him! I will try that calculator now thanks guys

We are here also (but 5years on with an almost 10yr old).

They will have an idea of expected height based on you/ohs height to determine what is believed to be normal height.

They will track his growth for a good 6-12 months. This determines if he is small but growing or just not growing enough.

Ask for a hand X-ray to confirm bone age - this determines the growth plate size and longer term plans.

They will likely send you to endocrine team for hormone checks (growth hormone test isn't nice but worth doing)

Once they have all this info plus a full history, they can work out a plan to monitor, support, enhance etc. This will include things like OT referral to support size, guidance for school etc.

For us, we have low insulin growth factor but growth hormones are ok. Has a genetic disorder which is known to cause small stature so is agreed this is the cause. And aim is for supporting him and his X-ray suggests he has a 2 yr delay on growth so will hopefully keep growing 2 years past peers.

Get all the info, be prepared to accept small stature as a disability that may make things challenging for your son. Build up a resting b*h face for when people make comments on his height.

At home, make sure it's accessible as he gets more independent (can he reach light switches, the toilet, get steps for the kitchen etc) so he isn't held back by it.

Feel free to message me directly, it can be a lonely place.

Do NOT keep measuring in between appts. The change is so slow that you'll beat yourself up and the errors of different machines and user error will have him shrinking and growth spurting accidentally!

Use does he grow out of clothes and shoes instead of wearing them out as your measure

thank you @slothbyday for the reply yeah he can reach the loo himself and the lights but we live in a apartment? he does have a stool and that for standing at the sink to brush his teeth etc. yes its soo annoying when ppl say awk look how small he is etc but I jus let it go over my head lol yes I will make sure to ask all this at the appointment. he hasn't said that anyone at school or anything has mentioned it although sometimes children can say things unintentionally to be nasty which is also what I'm afraid of as he isn't really aware that he's that small and it doesn't seem to bother him although I know if he was to be teased or anything about it I no he wiuld be upset

He's young so unlikely to have noticed massively now. My son is very aware now compared to a few years ago.

We've twice had to get school to clamp down on language and behaviour, usually the school bully who has decided it's ok to call him midget and dwarf - maybe it's extreme but I make it clear to school it's not to be tolerated and I view it as hate speech and they agree and it halts immediately. We are lucky school are great, and he has lovely friends who don't bat an eyelid at his height and are so accepting.

He has learnt himself why he has small stature and will answer if it is mentioned by others, sometimes other kids ask me in front of him why he is small so we have a set response that explains the problems his body has growing, it's showing that he doesn't control the growth and it's his body doing things differently, just like hair colour to help that acceptance amongst peers. No harm in calling kids out on comments they make but with a positive spin.

We have found extra curricular challenging - he is limited as to which age appropriate but size inappropriate activities are available (no to rugby, cycling means finding a bike that's Age appropriate but also size appropriate, climbing has harness issues, martial arts is fighting against younger as it's ranked by weight, cricket finding kit small enough and dealing with high bouncing balls etc), also things like time expected to be able to play for, if you have short legs you are working a lot harder so can't be going as long outside

The size has also impacted development for things like writing as the muscle and ligament strength and size is smaller so needs extra support with hand grips and extra time for writing.

DS is 75cm and coming up to 3 now. We've been seen by dietician who are happy with him, we're being seen by endocrine currently. His basic bloods showed he had absolutely 0 growth hormone in his body.

We went to do the full test and his veins were too small to do it so we have to wait until summer until he's grown a bit....which he won't have!

He's the tiniest in his nursery and looks like he belongs in the baby room bless him. I'm absolutely terrified of him starting big school but we don't have a choice.

It took a lot, and I mean a lot, of nagging for things to start moving...they're moving now but slowly.

I hope you get somewhere OP, if your DS is anything like mine, he has the world's biggest personality

yes @slothbyday he did get a new bike for Xmas a bigger one and does find the pedaling it difficult he says they are to hard for his legs although he does always get on and try which i love he doesn't give up I jus always try and encourage him. aww that's what I hate when things r said although so far so good nothing has been mentioned to him i no he would probably ask alot of questions and be hurt if someone where to say anything. I notice if we go on long walks etc he will say his legs are tired but I will be mentioning all this at the hosp app and hopefully get some answers. it's the unknown I think is more worrying lol

My DS sounds very similar to yours. He is 4 and will start school next year. I am not sure of his exact height but on our height chart at home he is about 92-93 cm. He is just on the 0.4 centile (I think) and he has been seen by the endocrinology department. They said they think he is 'just' small (as are myself and DH) but they are seeing him once more to check that he is following his line on the chart. He should have been seen in November but of course there are delays at the moment so we haven't been seen again yet.

I can really sympathise with your worries - he is so small (in 18-24 month trousers) and 2-3 tops and they are still fitting him fine. He is smaller than some of the babies in his nursery and it does worry me.

Just wanted to wish you all the best with your ds's appointments. It's good he is being seen and if there is something that needs doing he will be in good hands.

@cityzen74 yes my son was in nursery last year he was one of the youngest there hes a June baby lol but yes he was tiny there also and was also in small joggers and tops and still does fir into age 2-3 clothing it is worrying isn't it but hoping it's nothing and the hospital will b able to give me more info for reassurance he has the most loving personality and so smart can write and read etc so nothing wrong there lol he's jus so petite but as they say nice things come in small packages 🙂🙂🙂

@rt12 Yes I agree that nice things come in small packages . Let me know how you get on with your appointment - hope it all goes well

Re the bike - this is common, bikes are quite heavy and they have less muscle strength. We found super light bikes (which of course are more expensive🤷‍♀️) really helped.

@slothbyday oh really his other bike was quite babyish so we got him a new spiderman one for Christmas what bikes do u find r light? the one we have got is quite heavy tbh