Question:
Hi there, sir,
I have a short question or two about the percentage of adult height reached at the onset of different Tanner stages. I am aware that it varies for all of us, but knowing the average would help a ton with understanding for many.
For example, what % of adult height is reached at the onset of Tanner 3 or 4?
And for more accuracy, would your information create a more accurate prediction during a certain tanner stage, or do your information create a more accurate prediction as you advance, since during PHV ( Peak Height Velocity ), lot of things are significantly changed, so I wonder if the variables measured during PHV can lead to inaccurate results comparatively to variables during steady growth such as in early tanner 3.
Thank you!
Answer:
It would be an interesting study. The closest would be the CDC charts that relate age to the average height and weight (“Growth Charts“). One difficulty is that the various Tanner Stages are loosely defined. Each covers a two-year span. The Tanner Stage Calculator aims to add a bit more precision by distinguishing the start, middle, and end of the stage. However, even that would be too loose for making growth estimates.
I did find a study that adjusted the height curves to account for Tanner Stage and ethnicity. See: “Development of Tanner Stage–Age Adjusted CDC Height Curves for Research and Clinical Applications.”