Short DS

[Amber4242]

Hi after a bit of advice if possible. DS is 12 and by far the smallest in his friend group- although a decent height in terms of centiles. He’s between 25 and 50th. The concern is that he has only grown about 2cm in the last year and his feet haven’t grown at all.

I am taller than average (175cm) and his dad is 189 cm. DD is 15 and is taller than average - taller than me at around 176cm.

DS is starting to get teased by his mates and I really feel for him. I called the GP to discuss the stalled growth but they want to leave it till he’s 12 years 6 months before they see him.

I’m not sure what I’m asking really.. I guess has anyone gone through similar in that he’s not really small for his age, but he is definitely much smaller than the rest of us in his immediate family. He eats like a horse but never puts weight on.

it’s two months till the GP will see us and just advised to push smoothies and milkshakes in the meantime!

anyone been through similar?

When did you and your DH stop growing?

Some males don't grow much and go through puberty until 15+

I grew early and DH doesn’t really remember. I asked MIL and she thought he grew early too.

it’s the stalled growth that’s worrying me.

Well that and he’s getting teased a bit and it’s really hard when it’s not anything he can do anything about. He’s got a good group of mates they are just that way out that anyone overweight/really tall/short gets teased.

Can't boys grow until they're in their early 20s?

Yes but just worried that there is something underlying as think the average annual growth for a child is 5cm and he’s no where near that this year and not outgrown his shoes in 12 months

shame dh doesn't remember.
are there any photos of him that age?

fwiw my teens are now 14&15 and both are close to 6ft tall. they do not grow linear but would stall a few months before hitting a growth spurt,

between the ages of 12-14 their school years had very small pre-pubescent boys as well as very lanky, low voiced, fuzzy chinned ones.
now most boys have caught up in height.

until 14 I wouldn't worry too much if he's otherwise healthy and thriving.

but good that you have called the gp. slow growth could be an indicator of certain illnesess, like coeliacs.

Only one photo I’ve seen and annoyingly he’s sat down! He looks tall though.

I guess I will just follow the milkshake/smoothie advice while we wait but was just wondering what to expect from the GP when we see them. Poor DS is counting down the days

is ds doing a lit of exercise?

high impact exercise is though to stimulate bone growth.

Hi @greenacrylicpaint he’s very very active. In multiple sports teams, cycles a lot .

He has got loads of growing time left op don't worry

Where is he with puberty, @Amber4242 ? The timing of growth spurts is hugely tied to this. Voice broken? Hairy? If not, then he's probably just not got going yet, and perhaps his friends have. When's his birthday in relation to his friends'?

Hi @BirdsOfFeathers his birthday is in the middle of the school year and he has friends both a bit older and younger.

Not too sure with his puberty, he has hairy legs and a few spots but his voice hasn’t broken and no under arm hair yet. Not sure about pubic hair, he’s pretty private, I’ll ask him.

Some of his mates definitely have got going with puberty, full arm pit hair, height growth and filled out in the shoulders.

It all just dawned on me when I was thinking about what new uniform and shoes he needed for school and he’s exactly the same size as he was last summer.

My DS didn’t hit puberty til 15 . He was one of the oldest yet smallest in his year for a long time. He’s now over 6’ and taller than his older brother.
We didn’t seek any medical advice.
If your DS being teased at 12 by his friends it says more about their behaviour. That’s what needs to be addressed rather than it being turned into a medical problem of your son.

Have you got any measurements. Do you know what height he was a year ago?
I'd still go back to GP and insist on being referred. It may be nothing. He may be small. Or he may grow. But if it is something, it could be sorted. It's very rare indeed, but consultant might find he was missing a growth hormone. Could be a under active thyroid. Or he might need an androgen. All rare. It might fix itself. But I'd like to know I'd done all I can. Br firm. Insist. Don't be fobbed off.

What year is he? Because at 12, not that many boys voices have broken.

In year 8, just about to go into year 9 this September, aged 13-14 now, a few have, most haven't, voice broken. They are all at very different stages of hardiness etc! Some full moustaches. Others nothing.

I’d agree @Sooverthisnow if he was just small and following his own line on a growth chart but it’s the no/minimal growth that’s the problem. I am not trying to make small stature a medical problem but I am concerned that he may have something underlying that is stalling his growth.

He has a good group of friends but I think 12 year old boys tease each other and that doesn’t make them bad people that’s just how they are. I am sure DS teases others about different things.

You've described my DS, my & ex exactly.

Ds was just under 5' at 12 and grew very little, his feet didn't grow at all. He too was smallest in his year and very conscious of it.

He turned 14 last week and has grown 4'' in the last six months. And suddenly he can empty the fridge in one meal. 😀

The problem isn't his height, it is how you have accepted that teasing (bullying?) is acceptable if anyone is overweight/really tall/short probably can add wearing glasses, being ginger, being poor to that list.

Friends making someone unhappy is the most insidious type of bullying, it does so much damage, if someone doesn't like you and is horrible that is one thing but if your friends use you as the butt of jokes that is another.

I have teen boys so I'm not being precious.

Regards growing if he hasn't started puberty I would agree with the doc to wait, one of mine was the same shoe sizes for two years and then moved up four sizes in under a year. And I see it with their friends all the time.

Hi @Oblomov22 he was 147cm last summer and is just touching 149. So barely any growth in 12 months.

the GP I spoke to said she would do blood tests etc but was adamant we needed to wait till he was 12 and a half.

There is a lot of variation, I really wouldn't worry about it much, he could shoot up at any time.
My other thought is to consider how you would feel if he doesn't shoot up, he might just end up being shorter than the rest of your family. Maybe think about positive ways of thinking and talking about it for him.
It's not as if you can do anything to effect how he grows, so better to focus on what you can effect.

My ds was like this. My dh is 6'4''' and I'm 5'5". Dh grew early. He was 6' by 12 but DS didn't follow suit.
Ds then grew like a weed and is 16 and 6'. Think he still has some growing left in him. Try not to worry.

Hi OP,

I could have written large parts of your post. I would love to keep posting here with you.

my DS is 11, about to turn 12 and one of the shortest in his year. His shoe size has only grown marginally, maybe not at all over the past year. We are on holiday so I don’t have his charts (don’t know his height) here but he is so short, has kind of followed his growth charts though.

We are trying lots of exercise and a daily egg. Haven’t a spoken to GP yet but it is something I consider weekly.

Hi @HooverIsAlwaysBroken it’s hard isn’t it. Obviously we, and I am sure you, don’t make a big deal about his height and do lots to boost his confidence but they are at the age now when the difference becomes more noticeable.

I called the doctor as DS brought it up to me and I asked him what he wanted and gave him options and he chose that I called the doctor. To be honest he seemed relieved after I had spoken to the doctor and he is looking forward to his appointment. I am trying to ensure that he doesn’t have unrealistic expectations about what the doctor may say or do- that’s why I posted as wondered if anyone had been through similar and could advise.

Does your DS mention his height or is it just your observations/worries?

Hope you are enjoying your holiday x

My DH is 188cm (6 ft 2). He's said that he was one of the shortest in the year until he was 14. He shot up over that summer and when he returned to school in the September, he was one of the tallest.

We met at 18 and he was still growing then. He'd stopped in terms of height, but he was slim with a boyish build. His shoulders and thighs naturally broadened until he was about 23/24.

DS1 is average in height at 11. He's 145cm, which is shorter than me (152cm, I'm tiny) but his feet have been bigger than mine for about a year so I suspect he'll follow DH and have a growth spurt. DS2 is 137cm at 9. I predict that they'll both stop at 183cm+ so my short genes won't get much of a look in.

I wouldn't worry. There were boys in my school who were tiny up until fourth year, and yes they did take some flack for it (as did the unusually tall or hairy ones). Then one summer they came back a foot taller - it was remarkable. Everyone in the year of 120 ended up a fairly average size in the end.