When to Worry About Your Kid's Height

It’s that magical time of year: Class picture season when your kid gets all dressed up, and, instead of oohing and aaahing at how cute your little guy is, you’re worried that once again he’s so small that he’ll be forever relegated to the front row. Rest easy: There’s a big difference between being thin and being underweight. Read on as we help you figure out when it’s okay for your kid to be a peanut and when to worry.

1: Rely on your child’s growth chart.

Since your child was born, he or she has been measured on a growth chart, a key tool that helps a pediatrician keep track of how a child is growing over time. “Most pediatricians are looking for consistent growth with small jumps here or there,” says Maryann Jacobsen, MS, RD, co-author of “Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School.” “So, when growth plummets, your physician will be able to track this as a dip on a growth curve, and offer tips on what to do.”

2: Don’t wait for an annual appointment to track growth.

If you’re still concerned about how your child is growing and don’t have a pediatrician appointment in the near future, visit the CDC’s growth chart and enter your child’s height and weight. ”Add year by year weight and height if you have it as that helps to offer context,” says Kenneth Wible, MD, medical director at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri. “If your child is following one of the curved lines he’s progressing normally.”

3: Keep a food diary.

In it, jot down all that your child is eating to make sure he’s eating a variety of foods from all the food groups (protein, grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy) at meals and snacks. “Look at your child’s overall appetite,” Jacobsen suggests. “Seeing a pediatric dietitian to assess a child’s diet quality can also help immensely.”

4: Look at how your child eats.

Another potential (and overlooked) reason for growth problems is how a child is eating. Are meals tense? Is your child being pressured to eat? Is he grazing on food all day so he doesn’t eat well at mealtime? “Research shows that children who are pressured to eat tend to eat less and may even experience early fullness,” Jacobsen says. “And grazing on food and caloric drinks in some children can lead to fewer calories and key nutrients over time.”

5: Consider growth hormone.

After trying all of the above tips, consider speaking to your pediatrician about whether your child should be on a growth hormone, something that’s deemed appropriate only if your child has “idiopathic short stature,” meaning he’s healthy but has a below average height for his age for unknown medical reasons (for boys, he is predicted to have an adult height less than 5’3” and for girls, she is predicted to have an adult height less than 4’11”). This is a decision that should only be made if a pediatric endocrinologist signs off, Jacobsen adds.