No growth spurt in 14-year-old: should we worry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was 5'3" my freshman year in HS. I was 6'1" by the time high school ended. Relax.

These types of stories are useless.

If your kid has entered puberty and is pretty far along and is still short, there is probably not much growing left to do. Where the child is at regarding puberty is a very knowable thing.

Sure some boys don't start puberty until 14/15 and they grow through high school. These boys are late and it's totally normal but on one end of the bell curve and it's not as typical. But yes, it happens.

My kids started with some acne, hair under arms, smell, etc. but no voice change and no hair on face at 14-14.5 and no growth spurt. So, they 'started' puberty--but stayed in that early stage longer.. Very late to lose baby teeth too.

The growth change from age 15-16.5 was crazy. Look like completely different people and went from husband and I looking down at them to craning our necks up.

But- agree. If your kid has adams apple, full-on voice change, hairy, etc. they are likely through the major growth spurt.

[Anonymous]

My son is 14 a month now and is 5 ft 3..no voice change or puberty signs yet..hasnt had any growth spurts but steady growth etc..he has big feet (since birth lol) and is skinny,not chunky..I'm 6 ft and mom is 5 ft 7..My dad was 6 ft,Mom 5 ft 8,His mom's mother was 5 ft 10 but dad was 5 ft 7... I'm wondering has he got his short grandads genes!!...But I'm confident he will grow nicely in the next 2/3 years....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where the hell did you read that? Boys grow beyond 16. Its girls who stop growing at 16.

2nd. My brother was short in middle school then grew to 6'4 in high school and college.

OP here; that's reassuring to hear, and thank you.

My son was on the shorter side in MS as well. He’s now 6’5” at 18.

[Anonymous]

Where the hell did you read that? Boys grow beyond 16. Its girls who stop growing at 16.

They do grow some, but generally, significant growth spurts are usually done prior to 16. I am sure people will post their own counterexamples, which is fine, and of course they exist, but I am telling you what my kids' doctor told us occurs on average.
My son is mixed race (my ex is from Central America), and is shorter than average (a hair under 5'8" at 17, almost 18). Honestly, all this hand wringing on this site about males being short is ridiculous. He has a good life, plays soccer for his high school, and has good grades and a nice girlfriend.

[Anonymous]

14 is too early to worry unless he has other signs of being substantially through puberty. On the other hand, 95% of boys begin puberty between 9 & 14 (and roughly half of those who don’t began earlier), so if he hasn’t started puberty at all as he approaches 15, I’d definitely mention that to a pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14 is too early to worry unless he has other signs of being substantially through puberty. On the other hand, 95% of boys begin puberty between 9 & 14 (and roughly half of those who don’t began earlier), so if he hasn’t started puberty at all as he approaches 15, I’d definitely mention that to a pediatrician.

+1

On his 14th birthday my DS was 5’3” (and had no outward signs of puberty- looked like a child- though ped said he was in the early stages). At 15.5 he is 5’10” and looks like a teenager- a bit young for his age (no facial hair, very skinny) , but he has caught up height wise pretty quickly.

From what I’ve seen most boys do grow substantially between 12-14 but there is also a smaller group that doesn’t grow until 14-16. My son definitely has not been the only one with this pattern.

If ped is not concerned, I would not be either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Where the hell did you read that? Boys grow beyond 16. Its girls who stop growing at 16.

They do grow some, but generally, significant growth spurts are usually done prior to 16. I am sure people will post their own counterexamples, which is fine, and of course they exist, but I am telling you what my kids' doctor told us occurs on average.
My son is mixed race (my ex is from Central America), and is shorter than average (a hair under 5'8" at 17, almost 18). Honestly, all this hand wringing on this site about males being short is ridiculous. He has a good life, plays soccer for his high school, and has good grades and a nice girlfriend.

I totally agree with all of this. Shorter and average height boys do just fine in high school and in life. A lot of the comments on this site are ridiculous.

I will say that people often confuse height/late puberty concerns. It stinks to start high school weighing 100lbs and looking like a little boy (and the concern isn’t about height- it is about looking like a little kid with high voice etc). However, those are the boys that usually grow a lot freshman-sophomore year.

I will