A common reason is familial short stature, which means the parents are short. Constitutional delay in growth and puberty is another cause, which means the child is a late bloomer. It's not unusual for someone who has been small all their life to suddenly have a growth spurt late in high school.
It's typically considered a medical issue if they're smaller than 95 percent of children their age, and their rate of growth is slow. A growth delay may also be diagnosed in a child whose height is in the normal range, but whose rate of growth has slowed.
A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet). Can I still grow after puberty? We can't define a “normal” amount of growth, however most kids, on average, will grow about about 5 cm (or 2 inches) from the age of three until they start puberty.
For girls, height tends to peak around two years after the onset of puberty, which usually begins between ages 8 and 13. Some girls' height tends to peak around age 14 or 15. Boys, however, may grow until around 16 but may show the most growth between ages 12 and 15.
Taking care of himself — eating well, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of rest — is the best way for your son to help his body reach its natural potential. No pill, formula, or nutritional supplement can increase someone's height. Mostly, our genes determine how tall we will be.
Kids tend to get taller at a pretty steady pace, growing about 2.5 inches (6 to 7 centimeters) each year. When it comes to weight, kids gain about 4–7 lbs. (2–3 kg) per year until puberty starts. This is also a time when kids start to have feelings about how they look and how they're growing.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, short stature means an estimated final height below 5 feet 3 inches for boys or 4 feet 11 inches for girls.
Changes in Boys
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.
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.
Constitutional delay in growth and puberty (A child is short during most of childhood but will have late onset of puberty and end up in the typical height range as an adult because the child will have more time to grow.)
The genetics of height
If they are tall or short, then your own height is said to end up somewhere based on the average heights between your two parents. Genes aren't the sole predictor of a person's height. In some instances, a child might be much taller than their parents and other relatives.
The primary symptom that may indicate a growth problem is when a child grows less than 2 inches a year after his second birthday. Other symptoms may include: slow development of physical skills, such as rolling over, sitting up, standing, and walking. delayed social and mental skills.
Some medical problems can cause delays in puberty: Some kids and teens with chronic illnesses like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease, or even asthma may go through puberty at an older age. That's because their illnesses can make it harder for their bodies to grow and develop.
The main factor that influences a person's height is their genetic makeup, or DNA. However, many other factors can influence height during development, including nutrition, hormones, and medical conditions. Scientists believe that DNA is responsible for about 80% of a person's height.
Typically, boys will tend to grow an average of 3 inches, or 7.6cm, each year during puberty. In general, a boy's age during puberty will not affect his final height, but it will affect when his height growth begins and stops.
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 12-yr old male of 5.1 feet would be around the 75th percentile (taller than 75% of all 12-year old males in the US.)
How Many Inches Do You Grow in a Growth Spurt? Typically, in that intense phase of the growth spurt, or that three years between ages 12 and 15 years for boys (generally speaking) and between ages 10 and 13 for girls, height gains are about 4 inches per year for boys and 3 to 3.5 inches per year for girls.
Most exercise and sports will promote growth hormones. Tennis, basketball, soccer (stay away from those headers though) are all great sports and will help promote growth hormone production in the body. However, swimming helps to elongate the body as well. It's stretching and strength building in one fluid motion.
In general, boys tend to stop growing around the age of 16. Many factors can affect growth and, ultimately, height. These include environmental factors as well as genetics, nutrition, and physical activity levels. If you're concerned about possible growth delays, contact your child's doctor.
Children with growth hormone deficiency have a slow or flat rate of growth. The slow growth may not show up until a child is 2 or 3 years old. The child will be much shorter than most children of the same age and sex. The child will still have normal body proportions, but may be chubby.