What factors could have affected growth since puberty?
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I went through puberty at around 11 to 12 years old, had a growth spurt at 12 to 13, and then my growth seemed to stop entirely by the age of 15. I am currently 19 years old, and it has been suggested that people can continue to grow until around the age of 21. My father is four inches taller than me, and my mother is four inches shorter. During my growth spurt years, I was quite skinny and may have been undernourished because I often ate only one meal a day. Now, I have a long and wide upper body but relatively short limbs. I am concerned about my height and youthful appearance. What might have caused this, and is there any way to reverse it or determine if I could have grown more? Kindly help.
Thank you.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I can understand your concern.
I just read your query about your height and from what you have mentioned it appears that you have constitutional short stature. Your height prediction is calculated according to your mid-parental height taking into consideration that your both parent's height is 5.65 feet. You are currently 5.43 feet which is below your expected height. Most likely the period when you were undernourished by taking just one meal per day was the time your growth was affected.
You can possibly grow a bit now if you do cycling or play sports like basketball do stretching exercises eat a well-balanced diet, and sleep for seven to eight hours daily.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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