Anyone exceeded predicted height naturally?

amother

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:42 pm

Anyone know of somebody who naturally exceeded an endocrinologist's predicted height, without the use of growth hormone?
My son is short, we had bone xrays done, his pediatrician saw them and said we need to meet an endocrinologist.
We have an appointment set up, and are bracing ourselves...

Meanwhile, my brother, an adult now, told me he himself went to this specific endocrinologist (very well known, years of experience and recommended by pediatrician) when he was in 9th grade and was told his predicted height would be 5 ft 3 and was suggested to go on growth hormones, and he refused g8rowth hormones, and without medication grew to 5 ft 9.
My brother has been known to exagerate sometimes.
My parents are not able to remember the specifics of what was predicted.

I am curious if this has happened to anyone before, how likely it might be for someone to grow well past the predicition, without medication.

Thanks in advance!

amother

Lavender

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:48 pm

My aunt was told to put her son on hormones because his predicted height was very short (his father is very short as well so its not like he didn't have where to take it from). She decided against giving him the hormones. Today he is well over 6ft- he shot up suddenly at 20. Cant try to imagine what he would look like with growth hormones!

amother

NeonPink

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:53 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

Wow, that's wild! So there's hope for my sons? My DH is 5'3" and I'm slightly less.
Curious how tall your aunt's family is. They say boys often take after the mother's brothers. If so, my boys have hope Smile

. For us, the issue seems to be highly genetic and growth hormone deficiency is unlikely, so we are not pursuing gh. But everyone's situation is different.

amother

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:03 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

Wow.
Ok, this is encouraging. Thank you for answering.
Anyone else?

amother

Blush

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:11 pm

The endo's prediction is not like a scientific testing thing. It's based on the heights of both parents and bone age of the kid. The endo will tell you that he's not telling you what forsure will happen but it's an estimated likelihood of what will happen based on charts. So it's not surprising if kids exceed the endo's predicted height.

If both parents are short it's pretty likely most of their kids will be short. I do know of one family where the parents are both pretty short and the girls are too. But the son is super tall and towers over both parents.

amother

Lily

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:15 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

My Uber driver told me a similar story. He was always short and bought a little car when he was 18. Then shot up at 20 and his car is very uncomfortable now!

Librarian

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:19 pm

My son was put on growth hormone replacement therapy because he tested extremely deficient. The GH he injected were a Replacement. He could not have grown too much without it. It's not a matter of how tall he was predicted to be. Without the GHR therapy he COULD NOT reach that prediction.

amother

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:21 pm

Librarian wrote:

Good point
I should clarify then, im asking only for people who were not actually growth hormone deficient, but had a short predicted height

amother

Poppy

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:25 pm

So interesting to follow along. My in-laws are all so short and my kids so far are all less than 20th percentile. I’m 5’6 from an average to tall family but kids are taking after dh family so far. Dh is 5’7

amother

Lavender

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:28 pm

amother NeonPink wrote:

. For us, the issue seems to be highly genetic and growth hormone deficiency is unlikely, so we are not pursuing gh. But everyone's situation is different.

She's from a family of only girls but they are all pretty average height. None of them would be considered short.
Her daughters all ended up taking after their father and are all super short but her boys are all very tall.

amother

Aster

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:29 pm

My sister’s son was told he was going to be too short and needed GH. He took them and they said with them he would be lucky if he was 5’8”
He is currently 6’3” at 18 yo. My sister has problems keeping him in pants.

amother

Fern

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:30 pm

amother OP wrote:

Good point
I should clarify then, im asking only for people who were not actually growth hormone deficient, but had a short predicted height

The only way to really know if you’re growth hormone deficient is with a stim test which most people don’t do since it’s invasive and uncomfortable. Even kids who take growth hormones didn’t necessarily do the test if their insurance approved the medication without it.

amother

Petunia

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:45 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

My son was also short and is now taller than me still growing at 16. This is interesting re: age 20! That would be wild!

GH would likely have meant that your Aunt’s son would have got to the same height but possibly quicker. GH allows kids to grow at the same pace as their peers Vs later as in this case. It doesn’t usually add height they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

I am so happy I didn’t go the GH route.

amother

Oatmeal

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 1:59 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

he would be the same tall. gh would have just made him reach his height quicker,

I dont understand why though? why dont they grow taller with added gh? why does it only accelerate
the growth?

amother

Oatmeal

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:05 pm

Librarian wrote:

growth hormone can kick in, in later years.

I do want to hear about kids who were deficient and shot up later.

amother

Crimson

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:08 pm

Growth hormones are only for deficiency. Projected height is just that, it’s projected and can be 100% wrong. But someone who tests as deficient is unlikely to grow so much.

amother

Oatmeal

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:08 pm

amother NeonPink wrote:

. For us, the issue seems to be highly genetic and growth hormone deficiency is unlikely, so we are not pursuing gh. But everyone's situation is different.

could it be a shox deletion? then gh would hep I think.

amother

Oatmeal

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:09 pm

amother Crimson wrote:

Growth hormones are only for deficiency. Projected height is just that, it’s projected and can be 100% wrong. But someone who tests as deficient is unlikely to grow so much.

but they can be gh deficient today but in 6 month time levels may be ok.

amother

Crimson

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:10 pm

amother Fern wrote:

I’m on amazing insurance and we had to do invasive testing that took months. I find it hard to believe that insurance approves without. My endocrinologist has never been able to get approval without the full panel of tests.

amother

Moonstone

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 2:10 pm

amother Oatmeal wrote:

he would be the same tall. gh would have just made him reach his height quicker,

I dont understand why though? why dont they grow taller with added gh? why does it only accelerate
the growth?

It can’t be that gh shots just help them reach the same height at a younger age. It must actually help them reach a greater height, or why in the world would insurance ever cover it? And why would anyone even private pay, if results would be same in the end whether shots are given or not.
No, they actually are meant to add height where it wouldn’t have happened otherwise.