Short, young, and signs of puberty - help?!

amother

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 2:47 am

DD is 9 1/2. Her chest has been starting to bud for some time already but I know that can develop early and slowly. But I just noticed that her leg hair is getting "mature" too (BH it's blond.)

I know that nowadays 9 is considered in normal range for puberty so my pediatrician is like no big deal. But I'm worried because she's not only young, she's also petite and one of the shortest in her class. If she's already developing this much now, is she not going to grow as much later? Is there even anything to do about it at this stage when development is already clearly happening?

ISO experiences, reassurance, and advice. I myself developed much later, probably didn't wear a bra until 8th grade and didn't get my period until 14. I have no way of knowing or finding out what is average in DHs family. But anyway I keep hearing this generation is different.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 2:53 am

I would not worry about not growing after puberty. I did most of my growing after I reached puberty... Those two are not correlated...

Nine years is early, but within the norm, just as your pediatrician says... Trust your pediatrician...

I would say that 14 for menarche is rather later, I was 13 (and I am grandma generation), and this age indeed tends to go down...

Between first breast formation and menarche there was a lag of 1,5-2 years,in my case...

FranticFrummie

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 5:32 am

How petite are you talking about? Under 5 feet tall?

DD is 17, and she's only 5 foot 2 inches (and a D cup bra!). She likes being "snack sized".

At first it annoyed her that she was always the shortest one in her class, and now she likes it because it makes everyone tell her how adorable she is. She's not a natural beauty, but "cute" works just fine.

Last edited by FranticFrummie on Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Puce

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 6:56 am

I have similar with my daughter, although she is already 11, but I am nervous about her growth as well. She’s been seeing an endocrinologist for about a year to monitor her growth. I don’t agree to just trust the pediatrician. This isn’t their area of expertise. It can’t hurt to see an endo. We are seeing a really good one who isn’t just pumping her with hormones because why not. We’re just monitoring it with periodic bone age scans and follow up exams.

Chana Miriam S

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 9:09 am

I’m five one and my boobs are a triple d and have been as big as an h. I don’t remember when they started growing but wondering if she is overweight. That can affect hormones.

amother

Bronze

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 11:19 am

Take her to a doctor asap, if you want to delay puberty, to allow her to grow, you need to start mediation before puberty starts, because meds don't work after puberty. 9.5 is young but within normal, but if she's short, you may want to delay puberty anyway.

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 2:38 pm

What you should do is take her to an endocrinologist to measure bone age. If her bone age is 9 years, as you say, there's nothing you can really do. There's no studies that growth hormones or delaying puberty will help anything. 9 is also not an abnormal age to start puberty, although it is young.

But if she does have other issues, the endocrinologist can give advice or help.

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 4:05 pm

I got my period at 14 and grew till I was 17. I’m five ten. Take her to a doc they can do a bone scan to see how much she’ll still grow naturally.

Kiwi Bubby

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 4:26 pm

Majority of frum teen girls in this generation are on the shorter side. The tall ones are the exception. It’s ok to be short. She’ll be in good company.

amother

Ginger

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 4:28 pm

Please don’t wait an extra day. My daughter was 10 when when she got her period and 4’6. Our family is short, and she was always tiny but when her period started we were all shocked including her pediatrician where she was seen and monitored normally. Somehow, it was all missed.

We took a bone scan at the time and everything was fully formed so too late to do anything at all.
She is now 4’7 and perfectly healthy Bh but really short.
She’s been quite upset about it at times and it really hurts my heart but I work on accepting it because this is from Hashem.
We constantly point out other tiny women when we see them living normal healthy lives, but it still hurts me. Clothing is not easy and neither are shoes as she wears a size 2.5 children’s shoes.
Almost impossible to even find her heels to help her look taller.

Check your daughter out now.
Hatzlacha

amother

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 5:54 pm

Well. That wasn't reassuring at all but at least I'm now prompted to do the right thing... probably hard to get an appointment with an endo but I can push the pediatrician for a bone scan and hope that turns out ok.

I'm average height and DH is over 6 feet (I guess for a man that's average on the tall side? Definitely not short) so I'm a little alarmed that DD is starting puberty at 4'3". I had some friends who were visibly maturing in 5th grade but they were already the tallest in the class. DD has a couple of classmates who seem to be developing but they also either were always tall or had a growth spurt already. The other kids I've seen are flatter than she ever was.

She is not overweight at all. She's right in middle of the healthy range for height to weight ratio.

amother

Plum

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 5:09 pm

Kiwi Bubby wrote:

Majority of frum teen girls in this generation are on the shorter side. The tall ones are the exception. It’s ok to be short. She’ll be in good company.

The fact that so many girls are undersized and shorter than their moms mean something isn’t working properly. I’ve spoken to professionals who feel all the processed food and synthetic hormones in the environment are contributing to this problem. Children are not growing to their full height potential and entering puberty much too early.

amother

Puce

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 9:54 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Why is it probably hard to get an appointment with an endocrinologist? Call tomorrow!

amother

Puce

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 9:56 pm

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

I’ve always been careful to buy products (chicken, eggs, dairy products, meat) without hormones.. and I definitely am more on the healthy side.. yet my daughter is developing early. Dr said you’d literally have to live on an organic farm to avoid the garbage that is in everything and everywhere. It’s terrible.

amother

Khaki

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:16 pm

amother [ Ginger ] wrote:

How old is she now? Is she still growing?

amother

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:23 pm

amother [ Puce ] wrote:

Why is it probably hard to get an appointment with an endocrinologist? Call tomorrow!

Because another of my kids needed an endo for something else and my choices were either wait 3 months or drive 40 minutes each way Sad

Anyone know a good endo in or near Brooklyn who takes medicaid plans?

amother

Puce

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:25 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Because another of my kids needed an endo for something else and my choices were either wait 3 months or drive 40 minutes each way Sad

Anyone know a good endo in or near Brooklyn who takes medicaid plans?

I drive close to an hour each way.. I make it into a fun bonding trip.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:40 pm

Call the endo and make an appointment.

Then call EVERY MORNING and see if there are any cancellations. They'll get to know you at the front desk, and when an opening comes up, they'll get you right in (even if it's just to get you to stop calling. LOL

)

I was told there was a 9 month wait to get DD in to see a geneticist, and we got her in at three weeks, just by ~~being a pest~~ I mean being persistent. Very Happy

4'3" is very worrisome, and if there is anything you can do now, you need to do it ASAP. If nothing else, it will affect her ability to drive a car if she ever wants to. She may end up needing car adaptations and a special license.

I have a friend who is just under 4'10", and she lives a very normal life, but she does have some challenges living in a "taller world". Legally she is considered a dwarf or little person, but she hates the label and wants to be treated just like everyone else. (She's gorgeous, and has perfect, miniature proportions.)