Tall kids vs Short kids in Middle and High school

[Anonymous]

Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

PP here. My son is short because my DH and I are short (about 5ft. 4in. for both of us). He does take ADHD meds but he didn't have much of an appetite before he started them. My son just hit 5ft tall this month and he is 13 and a half.

[Anonymous]

Short son...difficult 5’0 at nearly 14 and skinny (96 lbs). He has friends 10-12 inches taller than him and broad. Makes it worse is that DH is 6’2 and it’s all me that makes him short..5’0

[Anonymous]

This is probably just a middle schooler have some fun with the adults who took the bait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked back and checked my son's growth records. He grew 10.5 inches in middle school. He did fine.

? Seriously?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked back and checked my son's growth records. He grew 10.5 inches in middle school. He did fine.

Seriously?

You still kept track in middle school?
Or your pediatrician?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

This most likely has nothing to do with the stimulants & more to do with the fact that they're fraternal.

People expect fraternal twins to have the same identifiers as identical twins but the physiology for fraternals is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

This most likely has nothing to do with the stimulants & more to do with the fact that they're fraternal.

People expect fraternal twins to have the same identifiers as identical twins but the physiology for fraternals is different.

Bingo!

I'm a resident who also focused on biology & this poster is absolutely correct when they say that the differences in your twins doesn't have to do with stimulants, it's because the physiology between identical twins & fraternal twins is totally different.

Fraternal twins are always going to have noticeable differences & some of those differences can be drastic in size, weight, height, appearance, etc.

The differences have ZERO to do with stimulants & everything to do with them being fraternal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You still kept track in middle school?
Or your pediatrician?

NP, but I have a folder of medical documents for each kid.

There also people that line their kids up against a wall every so often and write a date by the height.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

This most likely has nothing to do with the stimulants & more to do with the fact that they're fraternal.

People expect fraternal twins to have the same identifiers as identical twins but the physiology for fraternals is different.

Bingo!

I'm a resident who also focused on biology & this poster is absolutely correct when they say that the differences in your twins doesn't have to do with stimulants, it's because the physiology between identical twins & fraternal twins is totally different.

Fraternal twins are always going to have noticeable differences & some of those differences can be drastic in size, weight, height, appearance, etc.

The differences have ZERO to do with stimulants & everything to do with them being fraternal.

It’s a relief to know that science has proven, beyond all doubt, that stimulants have ZERO effect on growth. Please point me toward that proof so I can refute everyone who thinks stimulants may inhibit or delay growth AT ALL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for opening our eyes to this social problem.

We need awareness wristbands!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

This most likely has nothing to do with the stimulants & more to do with the fact that they're fraternal.

People expect fraternal twins to have the same identifiers as identical twins but the physiology for fraternals is different.

Bingo!

I'm a resident who also focused on biology & this poster is absolutely correct when they say that the differences in your twins doesn't have to do with stimulants, it's because the physiology between identical twins & fraternal twins is totally different.

Fraternal twins are always going to have noticeable differences & some of those differences can be drastic in size, weight, height, appearance, etc.

The differences have ZERO to do with stimulants & everything to do with them being fraternal.

It’s a relief to know that science has proven, beyond all doubt, that stimulants have ZERO effect on growth. Please point me toward that proof so I can refute everyone who thinks stimulants may inhibit or delay growth AT ALL.

What in the holy hell are you babbling about??

We're talking about obvious differences in fraternals being due to the fact that two children were conceived at the same time... aaaand that's about all they share in common - but you go ahead rattling on with your wacked out sanctimony about the evils of stimulants, lol.

[Anonymous]

My freshman in HS grew 12 inches between his 11yo check up and his 14yo checkup. He's crazy tall now, but I wonder if it will taper off. He's not remotely interested in sports and most of his friends are a solid foot shorter than him. Doesn't seem to bother any of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the really short and skinny kids on adderall or Ritalin? My son’s doctor has brought up possibly trying Ritalin but I worry about it affecting growth. He’s a solid kid (not skinny) and he’s about 5’2” or 5’3” and just turned 13.

This is purely anecdotal so I don’t really know how meaningful it is, but I have fraternal twin girls and one of them has been on various stimulants (though not Ritalin) to treat ADHD since age 7. In the first 7 years of their lives, there was never more than a 1/2” difference in height, and most of the time, the difference was 1/4” or less. At the time that my dd started stimulants, she was 1/4” shorter than her twin. Three years later, she was 4” shorter (still 50th percentile for height) and it was obvious that the twin who wasn’t medicated was experiencing many physical changes due to puberty, while the medicated twin was not. They just turned 11. This past year marked the end of strangers asking if they’re twins because they no longer look like they’re the same age.

This most likely has nothing to do with the stimulants & more to do with the fact that they're fraternal.

People expect fraternal twins to have the same identifiers as identical twins but the physiology for fraternals is different.

Bingo!

I'm a resident who also focused on biology & this poster is absolutely correct when they say that the differences in your twins doesn't have to do with stimulants, it's because the physiology between identical twins & fraternal twins is totally different.

Fraternal twins are always going to have noticeable differences & some of those differences can be drastic in size, weight, height, appearance, etc.

The differences have ZERO to do with stimulants & everything to do with them being fraternal.

It’s a relief to know that science has proven, beyond all doubt, that stimulants have ZERO effect on growth. Please point me toward that proof so I can refute everyone who thinks stimulants may inhibit or delay growth AT ALL.

What in the holy hell are you babbling about??

We're talking about obvious differences in fraternals being due to the fact that two children were conceived at the same time... aaaand that's about all they share in common - but you go ahead rattling on with your wacked out sanctimony about the evils of stimulants, lol.

Lady, one poster cited her background in biology and stated that 100% of the difference in height in these fraternal twins is due to biological/genetic differences and 0% is due to the fact that one uses stimulants and the other doesn’t. I have no issue with the use of stimulants — none — but that other poster’s claim is, of course, unproven at best and preposterously arrogant at worst.