What is Short Stature?
Short stature is when a child is growing below what is expected based on their rate of growth and parents’ heights. Some children may grow slower than their peers. Often it may be a feature passed on from the child's family. In some cases, a child is short because of a medical condition that affects growth.
What Causes Short Stature?
Short stature can be affected by a child’s genes, hormones, nutrition or other medical conditions.
- A child’s height is mostly controlled by family genes. The height of the mother and father will largely affect how tall a child will grow.
- Hormones, which are chemical messengers in the body, deliver signals that tell the body what to do. Growth hormone helps to signal the cells in a child’s bones to grow.
- Some chronic diseases can have a negative effect on a child’s growth.
- Poor weight gain may result in poor growth.
- Conditions present at birth can affect growth. Babies who are smaller than expected at birth may stay small throughout life.
- Syndromes such as Turner syndrome, Noonan’s syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome are associated with short stature and growth problems.
- Children with short stature who do not fit into the other categories may be diagnosed with idiopathic short stature. This diagnosis is made when no medical cause can be found, and the child’s final adult height is predicted to be very short.
What are the Symptoms of Short Stature?
Children should visit their primary care provider regularly. A child’s height and weight should be measured and marked on the child’s growth chart as part of every visit. Any child whose height is falling below their predicted range or who stops growing may be referred to see a pediatric endocrinologist who will discuss the possible causes for your child’s slow growth.
How is Short Stature Treated?
Many children do not need treatment for short stature. Treatment for short stature depends on the results of the testing. If a growth problem is identified, treatment with growth hormone may be prescribed. Growth hormone medication is given as a daily or weekly shot. This would be prescribed and monitored by a pediatric endocrinologist. Continued follow-up with a pediatric endocrinologist is usually scheduled for every four to six months.
When to Call the Doctor
Call your healthcare provider with any questions about your child’s treatment plan.
