Reading the result
The range is where your child's adult height falls 9 times out of 10. The percentile compares their height today with US children of the same age and sex on the CDC growth charts. A child at the 50th percentile is exactly average. A child who stays on the same percentile line year after year is growing normally, wherever that line is.
Average height by age
Compare your child with others the same age: height chart for ages 2 to 20, or the percentile table for a 8-year-old boy / girl, 10-year-old boy / girl, 12-year-old boy / girl, 14-year-old boy / girl, 16-year-old boy / girl.
Why late bloomers fool simple predictions
A 13-year-old boy who hasn't started his growth spurt can look short against classmates who have. Most late bloomers catch up and finish within the range predicted from their parents. That is called constitutional growth delay, and it often runs in families. If you or your partner grew late, your child may too.
What parents can influence
- Sleep: 9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12, 8 to 10 hours for teens. Phones out of the bedroom help more than anything else.
- Food: enough total energy, protein at each meal, dairy or other calcium sources, vitamin D.
- Health: untreated conditions such as coeliac disease, asthma or thyroid problems can slow growth. Regular check-ups with height plotted on a growth chart catch them.
