Height measurements can vary greatly because it really depends on the positioning of the person being measured.

I would schedule an appointment with a ped endocrinologist. Time it for after your son’s next check up. Assuming you are in the DC area, there’s a shortage of ped endo’s so it can take 4-6 months to get in as a new patient. You can always cancel if your son is back on track after his next check up. If you need a name, my DD sees Dr Sobel at Georgetown.

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are not tall. I’m 5’4” and DH is 5’9”. Our kids are 20-40th percentile. My kids drop/go up 10-20% every year.

A 14% drop is not that big of a deal. If you and DH are short and/or have short relatives, I would not be concerned.

14 points in the middle of the curve is very different from 14 points in the tails.

He is 38 inches with a mid January birthday.

What is your DC height now? Depend on which website you are looking at, some says normal average height for a boy is about 40 inches tall at 4 year old. Normal average height for a boy is about 43 inches tall.

Anonymous wrote:IMO (admittedly a 100% non-medical opinion) I don't think 15th to 1st percentile is that alarming. My 4 year old has ranged between the 55th and 75 percentile for height over the years. So a 15th percentile to 1% percentile drop maybe isn't that big of a deal.

Chances are that in 6 months the kid could be back up towards the 15th percentile (assuming that's where the child has trended over the last few years).

Unfortunately, this represents a very poor understanding of how percentile rankings and bell curves work.

First of all, you need him remeasured, or to figure out what changed between the two measurements, because 15th percentile for a 4 year old is taller than 1st percentile for a 4.5 year old. So somewhere in there is some degree of measurement error.

But, 1st percentile is concerning, particularly with a fall on the growth chart. My guess is that they’ll look for things in the doctor’s office that will tell them where to refer. Celiac and growth hormone problems are two examples of conditions that can cause this that would lead to referrals to two different specialists.

DH and I are not tall. I’m 5’4” and DH is 5’9”. Our kids are 20-40th percentile. My kids drop/go up 10-20% every year.

A 14% drop is not that big of a deal. If you and DH are short and/or have short relatives, I would not be concerned.

How tall are you and DH? Were you tiny as kids as well?

I'd ask about a celiac screen. Read up on it first (celiac.org and beyondceliac.org are good resources) because not all doctors are up on the latest info; our pede missed it for several years. My kid slowly drifted from 90s to 70s in height, pede said it was no big deal; fast forward several years (and several seemingly unrelated symptoms, like headaches, tantrums, anxiety, panic attacks, sleep difficulty, random rashes, stomach aches, increasing appetite and weight gain ...), same kid had off the chart celiac antibodies.

Same child is now through puberty and has maxed out around 50th percentile, despite predicted height at around 80% based on parent heights. I wish we'd figured it out back when they first started slipping down the chart - we would've missed out on a lot of rough times (don't care so much about the height, though the kid does and is bummed).

Anonymous wrote:IMO (admittedly a 100% non-medical opinion) I don't think 15th to 1st percentile is that alarming. My 4 year old has ranged between the 55th and 75 percentile for height over the years. So a 15th percentile to 1% percentile drop maybe isn't that big of a deal.

Chances are that in 6 months the kid could be back up towards the 15th percentile (assuming that's where the child has trended over the last few years).

Usually the difference between percentages in real terms is bigger at the tails of the bell, so I’d be concerned in that sense. But 6 months is too short a period to freak out about, so I’d raise it with the pediatrician to see if they’re concerned... but, if not, I’d wait until 5 to recheck/worry if needed.

Anonymous wrote:What is the time difference between the percentiles? Usually they'll re-check in 6 mos. If the kid is still low, or falling further, an endocrinologist would not be a bad idea.

Admittedly, I do not actually remember but I think it has been since January since I normally schedule is physical in January (his birth month). Do you think I am ok to wait until January to raise this? He will turn five then.

What is the time difference between the percentiles? Usually they'll re-check in 6 mos. If the kid is still low, or falling further, an endocrinologist would not be a bad idea.

IMO (admittedly a 100% non-medical opinion) I don't think 15th to 1st percentile is that alarming. My 4 year old has ranged between the 55th and 75 percentile for height over the years. So a 15th percentile to 1% percentile drop maybe isn't that big of a deal.

Chances are that in 6 months the kid could be back up towards the 15th percentile (assuming that's where the child has trended over the last few years).

Are you sure that the child was measured correctly the last time? Even if you're sure the measurements are correct, then just relax and wait to see what the doc says. If you don't feel satisfied with whatever the doc recommends, then get a second opinion.

Anyone else experience something like this! DC has been consistent on the curve since birth. What to do (besides see a doctor- I know this). What can we expect from the doctor? See an endocrinologist? Relax? What else?