Constitutional growth delay DS 15

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DS 15 has just been diagnosed with late puberty with the option of testosterone treatment but we don’t know what to do. Consultant thinks wait for a few months as he’s showing some signs of testicular growth but genital are pre- pubescent. She wants to do genetic testing too. He has bone age 2 years younger.

We are quite concerned generally so wondering if anyone had any experience of it? He’s just 15 in november. Should we just opt for the testosterone now? He’s going to have blood tests in a few weeks

@hophopeishere they said they expect him to catch up, however his bone age scan is only around 18 months to 2 years behind. He's been consistently a lot smaller then his peers from around 2 years of age

@Winewednesday same as my 14 year old son he was 2 years behind when they did the bone age, makes sense as he is in age 12 school trousers!

he is a bit smaller than me maybe around 5ft 2 he won't let me measure him as very paranoid!

consultant said she would do the hormones injections for his mental health if needed .

he still has quite alot of baby teeth left which is unusual!

@hopeishere hi - what idoes velocity mean?

@Remmy123 has your son had any testing? My son isn't quite in 12 year old trousers yet.

Why wouid the testosterone injections cap height?

Read the booklet I posted, it’s from our local children’s hospital, it’s listed as a potential side effect.

It generally doesn’t, but it can because it can advance the bone age. Growth plates fuse when sex hormones are a certain level, such as the end of puberty.

Posted too soon - so giving sex hormone by injection can accelerate the bone age. Although usually not, because it’s not given for that long in constitutional growth delay and doses are titrated.

As an aside, it’s also one of the reasons why there’s a move away from giving the combined pill to girls with menstrual difficulties. The main reason is because the underlying issue is progesterone deficiency - so they give progesterone replacement - but also because a lot of 13-15 year old girls have some growth left and oestrogen containing pills fuse the growth plates.

@Remmy123 it's a bit like speed
I think. So like how fast he's growing as a prediction for how tall he will get.

I think that's it. The consultant is quite hard follow sometimes!

Hi, following this with interest as also have a very small DS for his age. Constitutionally, his dad was a very late developer and is 5ft 9, so whilst this should be reassuring...it isn't always!

So, @hopeishere do you mean that his predicted height is now less than originally told? What was it and will it be, according to predictions?

Not that his predicted height (5,8) will be less more that he's not getting there fast enough I think. He said he wasn't looking at actual height now but the velocity as that was more important.

This thread has been very interesting thank you.

I'm keeping a close eye on DS (13.5) as he has no signs of puberty yet whilst his 10yo brother has already started puberty.

DS takes after me and I was late to grow but I wasn't massively late to start my periods (13) and I had pubic and armpit hair when I was 11.

I think with DS part of the problem might be his weight- he's always been very slim. He's 152cm tall but only weighs 34kg. He's never really had much appetite.

Hey there, this thread is really interesting and helpful. DS will be 15 in May and still not showing any signs of puberty. I have been quietly concerned for a little while. Although DH says he was late to start puberty so it does seem like it runs in the family. DS is currently 156 cms and 39 kg.

He has ADHD and is on medication which significantly suppresses his appetite so has always been very low in weight. This is also a concern as low weight can stunt growth. But our ADHD consultant is happy that his height growth falls within the acceptable range. It’s more his weight that isn’t increasing at the same rate as his height.

But anyway I have put in a request for an appointment with our GP to try and get the ball rolling. Does anyone know if the GP do any initial tests as an indicator or do they simply put in a referral?

My DS now 14 and 9 mths was always tiny, and when starting secondary was literally the shortest boy in Y7. Luckily never been an issue confidence-wise and he has a lovely group of friends who have never made a big deal of it. In last 6 months he has changed a huge amount, it is like a switch has been flicked! Looking at last year's Xmas pics he looks like a boy, this year he is definitely a young man. Has put on three shoe sizes and is now in age-appropriate sizing for the first time in his life (was previously about 2yrs behind). He is very slender but has now overtaken many of his friends in height. Interestingly there is massive variation in his year at school, it is clearly very uneven when boys go through puberty - he has friends who still look like boys and others who look like they are over 18. Certainly not all their voices have broken, I can hear them playing Xbox :) So your DS may indeed still be within the normal range.

DS had an appointment with the GP today. DH took him. DS got really upset in the appointment and started crying because he didn’t want the doctor to examine his testicles. So the doctor didn’t. DS has to have a blood test to check his hormone levels so I guess we will take it from there.

My nephew had the testosterone injections as he was tiny compared to his peers, I think his parents would have been prepared to wait as they were both late bloomers but he was heavily involved in a competitive sport that is his passion and was dropping down rankings as everyone else hit puberty, he was also embarrassed. He's ended up taller than his parents. I think he was getting on for 16.
My DS had the opposite problem, started to grow hair at 8 and is now shorter and hairier than his brothers and also starting to go bald at 18😕

How old was he @Wbeezer when he had the injections?

I'm not sure, as I said up thread, I think he was 15/16.

It was a few years ago now.

my brother back in the 1980s was a very late developer and was offered testosterone but same as Babyst my parents decided against it as they were told of the cancer risk. He reached puberty eventually much later than his peers but it happened naturally eventually. Let's face it everybody reaches puberty be it sooner or later you never see adults that have not got there yet. so it will happen without the need of possibly harmful hormones. I can see myself that my own son is going to also be a late developer he's 10 and only lost 4 milk teeth and is much smaller than his classmates looks around 2 years younger. I will also not want him to have testosterone treatment.

Hiya, Op here, I had to change my account as my phone locked me out. Anyway, I spoke to someone whose son went through hormone treatment & they were told that the testosterone does cap height a bit as it accelerates growth and the bones fusing. It’s given me food for thought but we may not have a choice

@Letshaveablackcelebration22 glad I know this know tbh if it does i am sure it would be minimal!

im surprised the consultant told me "no side effects" when we spoke about it 😬

.... also you will never know if it does take off height as we do not know in advance how tall we will be!

maybe wait until the summer for things to kick off I their own?

my son still has no signs (no hair/ body odour etc) but his face is looking more masculine - just need some growth as still in age 12 trousers!

My son is 21 and going bald. @Wbeezer how does your son feel about it? Not that it can be changed?

@BabyST is there no option for medication for the loss of hair?