Patient education: My child is short (The Basics)

How do I know if my child is shorter than normal? — Your child's doctor or nurse will tell you. They will measure your child's height. Then they will compare your child's height with the height of other children who are the same age and sex. If your child is much shorter than other children of the same age and sex, doctors call it "short stature."

The doctor or nurse will measure your child's height at each visit. That way, they can follow your child's growth over time to track their progress.

Normally, children grow a lot in the first 2 years of life. Then their growth slows down until they go through puberty. Puberty is a term for the changes in the body that happen during the preteen and teen years. During puberty, children grow a lot in a short amount of time. This is called a "growth spurt."

If my child is short, does it mean they have a medical problem? — Probably not. Many children who are short are healthy and do not have a medical problem. These children might be short because:

●One or both of their parents are short. If a child has parents who are short, chances are good that they will be short, too.

●They are growing more slowly than normal. Doctors call this "growth delay." These children are short because they have their growth spurt later than other children. They often go through puberty a bit later han other children, too. But these children will grow to a normal height as adults.

●They had a growth spurt at a younger age. Some children grow quickly when they are young and go through their growth spurt early. For a while, they are taller than other children their age. But then other children catch up to them and grow taller.

●They are short for no specific reason. Doctors call this "idiopathic short stature." These children are healthy but grow more slowly and will be short as adults. Being short does not usually cause them to be unhappy or have trouble socially.

Some children who are short do have a medical problem. Different problems and conditions can cause children to be shorter than normal. Some of these include:

●Being very thin

●Long-term medical conditions that affect the digestive system, heart, lungs, kidneys, or blood

●A condition called "growth hormone deficiency" – People with this condition have too little growth hormone in their body. Growth hormone is a substance made by a gland located at the base of the brain. This gland is called the pituitary gland (figure 1). Children need growth hormone to grow normally.

●Problems that babies can be born with, caused by abnormal genes

Will my child need tests? — Maybe. The doctor or nurse will want to know why your child is shorter than normal. They will talk with you and ask about the growth and heights of other family members. They will examine your child, and might also do:

●Blood tests – The doctor can check for different conditions, including growth hormone deficiency.

●X-rays of 1 of your child's hands and wrists – Doctors can use these X-rays to estimate how tall your child will grow.

Will my child need treatment? — It depends on why your child is short. If your child is short because of a medical problem, their doctor might be able to treat it.

Doctors treat growth hormone deficiency in children by giving them growth hormone. Sometimes, they also use growth hormone to treat children who are not growing normally because of certain long-term medical conditions. Growth hormone treatment usually involves getting a shot of the hormone every day for many years. A doctor or nurse will teach you how to give the shot to your child. Children who get growth hormone treatment usually need regular follow-up blood tests.

Is growth hormone treatment ever used for children without growth hormone deficiency? — Not usually. That's because:

●Growth hormone treatment doesn't always make children grow. Even if growth hormone does make a child grow, they will only grow 2 to 3 inches (4 to 6 cm). A short child will not become tall with growth hormone treatment.

●The treatment costs a lot of money and is not easy. Children usually need to get a shot every day for many years.

●Being short isn't usually a problem for children and doesn't keep them from having a normal, happy life

Sometimes, growth hormone treatment is used for children with "idiopathic short stature." This is when children grow more slowly and will be short as adults, but there is no specific cause. But not all families choose this treatment.

Is there anything I can do on my own to help my child? — Yes. You can:

●Make sure your child gets enough food and eats a healthy diet. If you need help changing your child's diet, ask the doctor or nurse.

●Help your child feel good about themself. Try to point out your child's strengths and not focus too much on their height.

More on this topic

Patient education: Normal puberty (The Basics)
Patient education: Late puberty (The Basics)
Patient education: Early puberty (The Basics)
Patient education: Growth hormone treatment in adults (The Basics)