Question:
Hello sir,
I hope all is well. I wanted to ask you about my growth pattern.
- 13: 152.5 cm, 34.6 kg (30th percentile)
- 14: 162.7 cm, 41 kg (42nd percentile)
- 15: 170.3 cm, 47.5 kg (51st percentile)
- 16: 175.6 cm, 51 kg (62nd percentile)
As you can see, I hit Peak Height Velocity between 13 and 14, growing about 10.25cm per year. Then I dropped to 7.7 cm a year, then to 5.7 cm. But these last two points seem higher than average at 2 years post-PHV, right? I did the calculator, and I’m about Tanner 4.1-4.3 at age 16, so growing over 5 cm the year before seems higher than average, or maybe not. But looking at average height growth charts, it seems that the average height gained from 15-16 is only 3.5 cm, not 5.7 cm, and for 14-15, it’s 6 cm, not 7.7 cm. Could this suggest a slower rate of decline due to lower body weight, which reduces aromatase activity since it is most abundant in fat tissue, thereby lowering estradiol levels and therefore delaying plate closure?
I’m curious if this is the case or if, in fact, this is a completely normal growth curve. However, my parents are quite short at 5’6-5’7 for my father and 5’1 for my mother, although my paternal uncle and aunt are 6’0 and 5’8 respectively.
Is it possible to hit 180cm/5’11 at this rate, and is this usual or unusual?
Answer:
You are too focused on age. The growth charts just show the average for all boys. The chart results show that your weight has consistently been below average (8th to 12th percentile), while your height has gone from below average to above average. This often happens during a person’s growth spurt. You start out below because your growth hasn’t begun yet, and then rocket up when it does.
You were at stage 3 between ages 13 and 15. You have been in stage 4 for about a year now. What you will see is a continued decrease in your rate of growth until it comes to a full stop in about a year to a year and a half. I would expect that you’ll gain another 1 to 2 cm before you reach stage 5.