Growth and development occur rapidly during infancy, childhood, and puberty, but at some point we reach our maximum height and stop getting taller. When does this stop in growth typically happen? The answer depends on several factors.
When do girls stop growing?
On average, girls reach their adult height by around age 15, or a couple years after menstruation begins. The beginning of puberty brings growth spurts and maturation.
During puberty, rising levels of estrogen prompt the growth spurt that leads to breast development and menstruation. Soon after girls get their periods, the pubertal growth spurt peaks. After the peak growth velocity, the rate of growth slowly declines until the epiphyseal plates of the long bones fully fuse and adult stature is attained.
However, the exact timing of growth spurts and when girls stop growing varies quite a bit. Most girls complete puberty between ages 15 and 17, though some may be a bit earlier or later. The stages of puberty happen over several years. Also, age of menarche ranges considerably, from about age 9 to 16.
Here is an overview of when pubertal changes typically happen for girls:
- Breast development begins: around age 8 to 13
- Growth spurt begins: around age 10 to 14
- Menstruation starts: around age 12 to 16
- Growth slows and adult height reached: around age 15
Keep in mind these are just averages – the timing and tempo of puberty can differ substantially in normal, healthy girls. Factors like genetics, body composition, and nutrition impact growth and development as well.
When do boys stop growing?
Boys typically reach their adult height around age 16, or a couple years after the peak growth spurt of puberty. The major pubertal changes start happening about two years later in boys compared to girls.
Rising levels of testosterone during puberty generate the adolescent growth spurt. Growth velocity increases, leading to rapid skeletal maturation, muscle growth, and other masculinizing effects. After the peak of the growth spurt, the rate of growth gradually declines until growth plates fuse and adult height is attained.
As with girls, the exact timeline varies quite a bit. Most boys go through puberty between ages 10 and 17. Here is the typical sequence:
- Testicular enlargement begins: around age 9 to 14
- Growth spurt begins: around age 10 to 16
- Facial hair develops: around age 12 to 16
- Growth slows and adult height reached: around age 16
Remember, onset and tempo of puberty can differ significantly among normal, healthy boys. Heredity, body composition, and health conditions impact growth patterns.
What are the stages of growth?
Human growth follows a typical pattern, though timing varies between genders and individuals. The stages of growth include:
- Infancy growth spurt – The most rapid physical growth occurs in the first year of life. Babies can grow 10 inches or more this first year.
- Steady childhood growth – After infancy, growth continues at a steady pace throughout childhood. Kids gain 2-3 inches in height and 5 pounds in weight per year on average.
- Pubertal growth spurt – The onset of puberty generates rapid growth again, the adolescent growth spurt. Youth grow about 4 inches per year during this peak.
- Slowing growth – After puberty, physical maturation continues but the rate of growth declines until full adult stature and development are reached.
These stages occur in all kids, but the timing varies between girls and boys due to differences in hormones and the timing of sexual development.
What impacts growth and height?
Many factors influence growth patterns and determine adult stature. These include:
- Genetics – Height is highly heritable, though many genes are involved. Short parents tend to have short children, while tall parents tend to have tall children. Extreme heights are often due to single gene effects.
- Nutrition – Adequate calories, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are essential for growth. Malnutrition leads to short stature and delayed development.
- Hormones – Growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone drive growth.
- Health conditions – Chronic disease and other medical problems can impair growth and delay puberty.
- Socioeconomic factors – Issues like poverty, stress, and poor sanitation contribute to stunted growth.
Because so many factors affect development, the timing and tempo of growth can vary quite a bit among healthy kids who are growing normally for their own pattern.
Is late or early puberty abnormal?
Puberty that happens earlier or later thanpeers can sometimes indicate an underlying problem:
- Early puberty – Puberty before age 8 generally requires evaluation by a pediatric endocrinologist. Rapid sexual development may be due to hormone problems, genetics, or environmental factors like obesity. Treating an underlying disorder can help.
- Delayed puberty – No breast development by age 13 or no testicular enlargement by 14 typically merits further testing for underlying illness. Medical treatment may help youth with delayed puberty develop normally.
However, variation in normal growth and development means puberty timing alone doesn’t necessarily indicate an issue. Doctors monitor growth trends over time and consider factors like family history. Evaluation is recommended if there are other concerning symptoms or growth issues.
When is short stature concerning?
Short stature or growth failure is defined clinically as height that falls significantly below what is normal for age and gender. Possible causes include:
- Genetic conditions like Turner syndrome or Noonan syndrome
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic disease affecting nutrition or hormones
- Medications treating conditions like epilepsy or asthma
Doctors plot growth trends on standard charts over time. Falling off growth curves can prompt evaluation for underlying disorders. Testing growth hormones and scanning growth plates helps determine causes and guide treatment options.
What are growth disorders?
Growth disorders are classified as two main types:
- Failure to grow – Conditions like growth hormone deficiency, malnutrition, hypothyroidism or genetic disorders result in abnormally short height and low growth velocity.
- Overgrowth – Excess growth hormones from disease or medications can accelerate growth. Examples include gigantism, precocious puberty, and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
In both cases, early recognition and treatment of the underlying problem is key. Doctors can recommend medication, supplements, or lifestyle changes to get growth on track.
What is constitutional growth delay?
Constitutional growth delay describes boys who develop later than average but are otherwise healthy. Features include:
- Delayed adolescent growth spurt and puberty
- Late maturation of bones, muscles, and other tissues
- Normal body proportions
- Eventually catch up and reach normal adult height
This self-limiting delay in growth represents one normal variation, not a disorder requiring treatment. Reassurance and monitoring until the adolescent growth spurt occurs are recommended.
What is constitutional short stature?
Constitutional short stature, also called familial short stature, means inheriting genes for shortness. Features include:
- Height and growth velocity below normal
- Delayed bone age compared to peers
- Delayed or absent pubertal growth spurt
- Otherwise normal growth and development
- Adult height still within the same range as parents and siblings, just short
No treatment is required for this normal genetic variation. Kids should be monitored to ensure growth remains proportional and puberty starts normally.
Can you increase height after puberty?
Unfortunately, increasing height becomes very difficult after growth plates in the long bones have fused at the end of puberty. Treatment options before growth stops include:
- Growth hormone therapy if hormone deficiency is causing short stature
- Testosterone treatment for delayed puberty in boys
- Estrogen therapy for girls who are extremely short due to Turner syndrome
- Surgical leg lengthening procedures
However, increasing adult height after growth plates have closed is very challenging. Non-surgical options that may help slightly include:
- Performing regular high intensity exercise to help minimize disc compression
- Avoiding osteoporosis to prevent height loss from vertebral compression fractures
- Using posture correcting exercises and supports to avoid slouching
- Wearing shoe inserts or heels to appear taller
But such lifestyle changes only affect height minimally. After puberty ends and growth is complete, people have reached their maximum height potential.
Does puberty affect growth patterns differently in girls and boys?
Yes, the different timing and hormonal changes of puberty in girls and boys impact growth patterns in key ways:
- Earlier puberty – Girls enter puberty about 1-2 years earlier than boys, so experience growth spurts and developmental changes earlier.
- Faster growth – Peak growth velocity is higher in girls. The average growth rate during puberty reaches about 4 inches per year in girls compared to 3.5 inches per year in boys.
- Earlier growth completion – Girls stop growing about 2 years earlier than boys on average, reaching adult height around age 15 versus age 17 in boys.
- Potentially greater growth – The earlier onset of estrogen in girls limits the duration of rapid growth somewhat, while later testosterone exposure allows more growth potential in boys overall.
However, there is considerable individual variation within genders. Some girls experience puberty later than some boys, for example. Family traits, health status, and many other factors also impact growth patterns.
Can you predict adult height based on growth patterns?
Doctors can predict adult height with reasonable accuracy during the pubertal growth spurt by assessing:
- Growth velocity – The rate of growth over a period of time, such as 6 months
- Bone age – The degree of maturation of bones on X-ray compared to normal development
- Current height – Measured on standard growth charts for age and gender
- Mid-parental height – The average height of the child’s parents
Formulas factor in these measurements to predict eventual adult stature. Predictions become more accurate after the peak of the adolescent growth spurt occurs.
However, many genes influence height, so predictions still have an error range. The child’s adult height ends up within about 4 inches of predicted height for 66% of kids and within 6 inches for over 90% of kids.
What health conditions affect growth?
Many medical disorders and chronic health problems can impair growth and delay puberty. Common examples include:
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Hypothyroidism
- Precocious puberty
- Congenital heart disease
- Asthma requiring steroid treatments
- Gastrointestinal conditions like celiac disease
- Cancer treatments affecting the endocrine system
- Chromosomal disorders like Turner syndrome
- Skeletal dysplasias affecting bone growth
When growth problems develop secondary to other illness, treating the underlying condition may allow children to resume normal development. Monitoring growth trends over time is key.
Conclusion
Growth and development follow a typical pattern, though precise timing varies. Girls tend to enter puberty around ages 8-13, experience rapid growth, and complete development around age 15. Boys mature about 2 years later, undergoing puberty around ages 10-17 and finishing growth around age 17.
Many genetic and health factors influence growth. Substantially early or late puberty may warrant evaluation. But differences in normal development mean growth patterns alone don’t necessarily indicate a problem. Monitoring children over time and considering family background provides helpful context.
If growth failure or short stature cause concern, doctors can perform testing to pinpoint causes and guide treatment to support healthy development.