The term “late bloomer” refers to a child who goes through puberty later than their peers.
The actual spurt was then smaller and, moreover, puberty occurred earlier. In the category of children with lower BMI and later onset of puberty, the spurt was all the stronger. Those whose puberty was delayed also had several extra years to grow in, and quite simply ended up taller.
Early bloomers may start to notice changes in their bodies as early as age 10, whereas late bloomers may start at age 14. Of course, these changes could easily fall anywhere in between. Those who started on the later side, can expect to keep reaching new heights until the age of 18.
Females are considered late if they don't have any external secondary sex characteristics – like breast development or hip widening – by about 14 and if they haven't gotten a first period by 16. Males are late if they have no measurable testicular growth by the time they turn 14.
Teens who have constitutional growth delay grow at a normal rate when they're younger, but they lag behind and don't start their pubertal development and their growth spurt until after most of their peers. People who have constitutional growth delay are often referred to as "late bloomers."
Changes in your child's height and weight caused by increases in bone, muscle and fat are the most immediate signs that your child is experiencing a growth spurt. Other signs of a growth spurt include: Decrease or increase in appetite. Fussiness or emotional outbursts.
Some kids are just late bloomers, but some kids have late language emergence or are “late talkers.”
Boys tend to show the first physical changes of puberty between the ages of 10 and 16. They tend to grow most quickly between ages 12 and 15. The growth spurt of boys is, on average, about 2 years later than that of girls. By age 16, most boys have stopped growing, but their muscles will continue to develop.
So remember, being a late bloomer isn't a bad thing. Everybody is different, following their own path. If your path has a few more detours or a slower speed than others' paths, no worries. You'll get “there” when the time is right.
A major growth spurt happens at the time of puberty, usually between 8 to 13 years of age in girls and 10 to 15 years in boys. Puberty lasts about 2 to 5 years.
A late bloomer is a child who: Experiences their pubertal growth spurt later than their peers. Goes through puberty later. Is shorter than their peers until they hit their growth spurt.
But some gifted children are late bloomers.
Although hardly a technical or diagnostic term, "late bloomers" characterizes gifted children who master intellectual, developmental or social/emotional milestones at later points in time than is expected.
Adult testosterone levels vary from 250-800 ng/dL, and most boys with delayed puberty have testosterone levels of less than 40.
One the most obvious and typically the most noticeable physical change of puberty is the growth spurt.
The growth plates fuse in an ascending order, from the foot to the wrist, and females mature significantly earlier than males.
Regular exercise, especially weight-bearing and high-intensity activities like running, jumping, and strength training, can stimulate bone remodeling and increase bone density, which can help people grow taller.
On an x-ray, growth plates look like dark lines at the ends of the bones. At the end of growth, when the cartilage completely hardens into bone, the dark line will no longer be visible on an x-ray. At that point growth plates are considered closed.
The advantage of being a late bloomer is that by the time success strikes, you've got your bearings about you. You know where you're going. You take success for what it is without getting turned in circles so easily. By that point, you've spent enough time outside that you can read the stars.
Late bloomers are trained innovators—thanks to failure.
That kind of training, however unwelcome, breeds incredible resilience. Desensitization to failure, paired with that fully developed frontal cortex, can make late bloomers excellent problem solvers.