Daughter and lack of height and puberty

[LSmith789]

Hi all, I’m new to posting so apologies if I miss anything..
My daughter is 13 next summer and she has always been small. It started to be more obvious at the end of primary when her friends were having growth spurts and it is more obvious now. She is an only child.
She is 138cm tall, grows approx 5cm a year, and is not showing any signs of puberty beginning. I am a worrier, my husband prefers to just wait and see on these things, but I’m concerned that not only about her growth, but that she doesn’t start with puberty and then it’s too late.
Is anyone able to give experiences of similar with their daughters.... and what has the result been?
Has anyone gone to the doctors nhs or private on the same issue and what were your experiences?
Thank you all in advance, any help would be appreciated. xx

13 next summer? You have got plenty of time. I work in a senior school and a lot of girls in year seven are small. It could be that she is a late developer or she could be just going to be small. If she hasn't hit puberty by the time she turns 14 then maybe take her to see a GP, but in all likelihood they'll probably tell you to wait. 15/16 years is really the time to start worrying.

LSmith789 My DS has an abnormality in his pituitary. He has a daily growth hormone injection and thyroxine tablets too and also recently started melatonin as he has issues getting off to sleep. If we had left him in the hands of the GP we would have been told his lack of growth was due to having allergies. We pushed for an appointment and he had to have an MRI where he was diagnosed. The view is from some ‘small child, just one of those things’. Growth issues can be hereditary too and I would imagine diagnosis is missed. Hormones are important not just for growth but puberty etc. We are a tall family so he stood out but he didn’t change shoe size for two years 1yr-3yr and his clothes were the same. However for some jt can be subtle and not as obvious. My view is if you are worried and have the funds get your DC checked out even if it is to reassure a worried mother.

My DD had only just made it out of a booster seat when she started high school (135cm). She was tiny compared to most of her friends. She is also summer born. First real signs of puberty started around her 13th birthday. She also started to grow more. Periods started at 14.5. Now at 15.3 she has reached about 5'3". Still growing, but more slowly.

Both you and your DP are short, so it is unlikely that she is going to be more than average in height. She still has nearly a whole year before she is 13, which is when we noticed real changes. If she is growing steadily I wouldn't worry.

One of my cousins was always small and hadn't started her periods by the age of 17. Her mum took her to the GP. I don't know the outcome but she is now of a normal height and weight and has two (naturally conceived) children.

I would get her checked out as a precaution, but I think the main plus point is that she is growing. It can be a problem if growth stops. But her feet and height are growing. What is her shoe size compared to yours? At 12, many girls will have a similar shoe size to their mums. Feet grow first before height.

Kaddm
Thanks for the message.
Daughter is 3.5 shoe,
I am a 6.

You've had lots of reassuring messages already but I will add mine. I was a very small child/teenager, and am on 5ft 3 now. I didn't start periods until I was 14. I expect my DD to be the same.

If you are small, did you start your periods at an older age?

She might just be a late bloomer - some of my friends didn't get their periods until 16. Especially if skinny. You don't need to worry until then.

I also know people who were tiny in school but they all reached at least 5'

My dd was tiny in Primary. At the end of second year she was not tall enough ( 130 cms) to do the rides at an amusement park with her friends. Her feet were still size two at the age of 13 and puberty began to show only towards her 14th birthday. Her doctor saw nothing alarming as she was growing, albeit very slowly. But it was not easy for her, being constantly taken for a small child.
She is 15 now and is 1m60. She grew all of a sudden. One minute she fitted under my chin and the next she was my height.

And this was in 2011 so not back in the day!

Also the periods don't always match up with height - my sister started at 8 and is 5ft and I started at 10 and am 5 ft4. Some people are just born small.

My sister loves being tiny, except when she's performing surgery and they have to crank the bed right down and the nurses hunch 😂

I suppose you could take her to see someone for your own piece, but I dont think there is anything to worry about. If she continues at 5 cm a year on average she will be about 5ft 4 by the time she is 18, which is well within the average range of females.
The main thing in my view is to install confidence in herself

It doesn't sound too out of the ordinary. DSD1 is 14 and it's only really the last year that she has definitely grown, shoe size gone up etc.
Keep monitoring her and if you don't notice any changes in height or shoes in 6-9 months then you could start the ball rolling.

OP - my daughter sounds the same as yours - age 12 and about 137/138cm. No sign of puberty yet although she has become very body conscious recently, so maybe there are a few signs that I am not aware of! It does niggle me a bit, and she isn't happy that she is shorter than most of her friends, but at the moment I still have faith that she has growing to do and plenty of time for puberty.

My DD was average height through primary school, then at 11 1/2 she stopped growing. She was very small, flat chested, large feet and thin, though she had a large appetite. At fifteen she started to grow quickly and grew to 5’ 10”. She first got her period at 17.

I wasn’t worried as my DS was small at 12 and started growing at 15. He grew an inch a month for awhile and reached 6’ 3” by around 18. He was thin too.

I also knew about doubling their height at two years old (for girls) and 2 1/2 for boys. They both grew to double their two year old height. It seems unbelievable to think a two year old is half their adult height.

People eventually get to their predicted height, some grow steadily, some fast and stop early, some later in their teens. You often see taller children get to their adult height at around 12 years of age and the smaller DC pass them in height in their mid teens.

I would not worry about a twelve year old girl not starting puberty.

Thanks everyone, I forgot to mention that I’ve heard that weight effects puberty and she doesn’t weigh very much at all. 5 and a half stone I think so maybe this has a bearing.

She's tiny, but normal for her height and age. As a fully grown adult, at my lowest weight last year when I was exercising several times a week, I was 7st 6. And I'm 14 cm taller. I was within the healthy weight range for my height.

Again, listen to what's being said. She's 12. She hasn't started puberty. That's completely normal.

In your OP you say that she's 13 next summer. We've only just come out of summer, so realistically, she's only just 12. Is it possible you are trying to get her to grow up a bit quicker? Both in the way you talk about her age and your concern that she's behind?

It's not weight as such but body fat percentage that affects puberty. Shes only 12 and I wouldn't worry about anything unless she reaches age 15 with no signs of puberty and her periods haven't started. One if the earlier Tanner stages of puberty is breast buds. Does she have any growth in that area?

Don't rush it OP. Once she dies hit puberty, those hormones are going to kick in and in likelihood, you'll know about it. My mother used to tell me that I went to bed a happy 12 year old and woke up on my 13th birthday like I was possessed.

Enjoy your little girl for a bit longer. There's no going back once it all starts.

Thank you all for taking the time everyone to comment, it does really help to chat about it. As I’ve said I can’t really talk to my other half as he dismisses my concerns.

Thanks Highheels for all the help, I’m not sure what you mean tho by this:

Is it possible you are trying to get her to grow up a bit quicker? Both in the way you talk about her age and your concern that she's behind?

I’ve come to terms with her being small, and it’s great that I can still cuddle her lots as she’s petite. Like I’ve said before, once she begins to show signs of puberty starting, I will be so relieved I don’t think I’ll be bothered about anything else until she’s an adult 😀 😂
It’s just that I am worried and I’m not afraid to say it I guess!

Dementedpixie, no she doesn’t have breast buds, she has the body of a 7 year old, no hips or anything.

If she has any kind of lung problems, she may be shorter and start puberty later than her peers.

What I mean is, she's just 12. But you're already refering to her age as 13 with the sidebar next summer, and you're worrying that she hasn't started puberty yet. No offense meant, just an observation.

In terms of hips, she might never get any. Alas, I'm short with hips, but lots of girls I went to secondary school with were tiny like me and just went straight up and down.

I do think that you are worrying yourself unnecessarily though.

We're the opposite here. My dd started developing early at age 8. She's under consultant care now, an endocrinologist monitors her every few months. She's had an X-ray of her wrist, blood tests and pelvic ultrasound. She's 9y5m now and has all the physical signs bar periods. The consultant said 8-14 is "normal".

Oh and she's 4ft9 and 4st10lbs. Tall and skinny.