Expert Q&A

My son, who’s 11, has always been average in height and weight, but this year, he’s dropped far below average. Will he catch up again?

By their third or fourth birthday, most children achieve a consistency in their growth status compared to other children. A child who is taller than the others tends to remain that way. Before puberty, the average child grows 2 to 3 inches and gains 3 to 5 pounds a year. If your child is maintaining that growth rate but his peers are suddenly accelerating in growth, the most probable explanation is that he has a delayed onset of puberty. This can be perfectly normal, since maturation varies from person to person. If that’s the case with your son, he’ll catch up in due time. If, however, he has stopped growing in height and weight for no apparent reason, you need to talk to your pediatrician to see if a medical condition is affecting his growth.

Dr. Mark Diamond is a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

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