My boys stopped early. My older son had very delayed puberty (14.5) and was always a very short kid (5-10%) so I thought he’d grow until 18. Instead he had a wild growth spurt over a single year and then stopped entirely. Fortunately, he went from very short to above average. His younger brother who was on the tall side (75%) hit puberty around 13. At 15 he appears to be done and it looks like he will be an inch shorter than his brother which nobody expected. It makes me think it’s all about genetics but I do wonder why both stopped growing years earlier than most.

Of course. My 18 yr old hasn’t grown an inch since 7th grade. My nephew grew 10 inches in high school.

We just met with a pediatric endocrinologist for the opposite problem - no signs of puberty at 15 - and he said many boys stop growing at around 16, especially if they started puberty earlier, with typical age for onset of puberty (tanner stage 2) being ~12 for boys.

My kid had an X-ray this week for an injury and the doctor happened to say his growth plates are beginning to close. DS is 5'9'' with a 5'7'' mom (taller side for women) and 5'8'' dad (shorter side for men). I was like, so is he done? Dr. said close but will probably grow a few more inches. DS immediately asked to go to the store for protein powder (it was a joke). He's almost 14.5

When did he start puberty? Has his voice fully changed?

15 seems a bit young but he could have started puberty earlier. My DS is 14 and hasn't even started.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way anyone can know that, least of all your Doctor.

Unless they looked at his growth plates.

Anonymous wrote: I feel like I constantly read here about boys who grew till 20, but the medical literature says most boys are done at 16

most are. Generally, the later you start puberty, odds are you will continue to grow till 20.

Both my kids are late bloomers (hereditary). DS still growing at 18. Grew about 1.5" the past 8 months. Most of his friends stopped growing at 16/17, and he's grown taller than most of them now, whereas, he was the shortest in the group at 14.

Anonymous wrote:Our Dr. said he thinks my son is done growing at 15 - he's 5'6". I thought boys grew until 19 or 20? This is just based on an annual exam, no x-rays fyi.

Mine stopped at that age. He’s 18 now and still 5’5”.

There is no way anyone can know that, least of all your Doctor.

When did his father and uncles stop growing? That is probably a good indicator. The men in my family reached full height around 19-21 yo. Granted, it was slow rate of growth after 16, but most of them added 2 more inches and my dh grew 5 inches between 15 and 21.

Most boys do stop growing by age 16 (in terms of height, not muscle), but certainly not all.

That said how can the doctor really know without looking at growth plates?

I feel like I constantly read here about boys who grew till 20, but the medical literature says most boys are done at 16

They COULD be, but my son wasn't.

Our Dr. said he thinks my son is done growing at 15 - he's 5'6". I thought boys grew until 19 or 20? This is just based on an annual exam, no x-rays fyi.