Question:
I’m in Tanner Stage 3.7, but it says on a growth utility that I’ve hit PHV this month. According to another website, PHV occurs in Tanner 4. I’m 169-170 cm in the morning right now, and I’m 14 and a half years old. My mother is 5’6″, and my dad is 5’10”. My sitting height is 86 cm in the morning and 84 cm in the evening. How tall will I be after Tanner 3? What will my adult height be? When PHV ends, will I stop growing? Can you tell me roughly when I started Tanner Stage 3?
Here is my height chart:
12.5: 4ft 11
13.0: 5ft 1
13.5: 5ft 2
14.0: 5ft 4
14.5: 5ft 6.5
Answer:
I use a slightly modified scale for the Tanner Stages. The standard scale has Stage 3 end at peak height velocity, resulting in a short Stage 3 and a long Stage 4. It is also hard to determine since growth can start and stop. Usually, you can only determine that you were at PHV after the fact. The modified scale that I use makes the duration of Stage 3 and Stage 4 roughly the same. PHV happens somewhere in the middle of Stage 3. Stage 3 ends when your growth rate returns to your childhood growth rate.
Therefore, the other site you were reading is using the original scale.
When your PHV ends (slows down), you will still be growing. You just won’t be growing as fast. It takes about three years for your body to slow down to a complete halt from PHV.
According to your height, you entered stage three shortly after age 14. The Tanner Stage Calculator uses a blend of several scales to develop its estimate. The rate of growth is just one of the scales. I must conclude that you are more advanced in other areas of development.
At a minimum, you will be at least 5’8″ tall as an adult. Not knowing the blend of genes you received from your parents, you could be taller. The Mid-Parent rule estimates you will be within two inches of 5’11”. You can use the Predicting Your Adult Height calculators to get more estimates. Most of them require knowing your current weight, which you did not mention.