DS concerned about height

[rainandsun]

My DS is going to be 15 at Christmas. He is very short and doesn't seems to be growing. All his friends have shot up and are head and shoulders above him. He is only 5 foot 3.

He has gone through puberty and developed muscles, some facial hair etc etc.
He has voiced concern about his height. He has complained about not having an appetite during the day or on waking up. He complains about mood swings and low mood.

I would like to take him to the doctor about this but I don't want to make him worry that so think he has a problem too.

Also what should I say to the doctor to be taken seriously and not come across as an anxious mother?

Has anyone got experience of this?

5'6" is good. That's shorter than average but not outside of norms. I hope you and DS are a bit reassued by that. I don't have any advice on the lack of appetite but hope you get some answers and possible solutions. Fingers crossed for your DS.

5'6" at 14y10m?
That's not short.
Why did you think he was 5'3"?

Could he be anemic? That would explain lack of appetite.

Am pretty sure DC have a friend who at 13 has a deep man's voice but is only about 5'4", and seems unlikely to grow much more. His dad is about 5'6".

Glad the doctor took you seriously and your son is having investigations. A combination of Tanner puberty stage and bone age determine when he will stop growing. An endo said to me recently, "predicting growth is a science but it's also an art" which I quite liked. The lack of appetite is similar to children with Russell Silver Syndrome though this mainly affects them in infancy (drastically) and childhood. Also he would've been noticeably very small all through his life. I hope you find some answers and/or your son manages another inch or so but if not, 5 foot 6 would be a fine height.

Same. I’m 5’9 and my husband is around 5’7/8. My son obsessed over his height because he dreamt of being a NBA basketball player. However, he was growing much more slowly than his friends who were shooting past him. Fed up with his sulking, I did take him to the doctor for his who predictably said he was just fine.
Then over the course of the lockdown he miraculously began to grow as he ate, slept and bonded with his PlayStation, slept and ate locked away in his room. He emerge 6’1, (6’2 with trainers he likes to point out.) Now he struts around the house, proud as if was his own doing. Ive noticed there is a correlation between increased height and lethargy.

Oh, my son credits a daily Vitamin D tablet for his miraculous growth sport. Lol.