Short stature (also known as short stature) refers to people who are below the 3rd percentile in height. This means that 97% of people of the same sex and age are taller. Short stature is noticeable in infancy or during puberty, when larger growth spurts occur. Short stature is the result of a reduced growth rate or a shortened growth period.
Below you will find further information and selected specialists for short stature.
There are many causes of short stature . The most common cause is familial short stature. In this case, it is not a disease, but a normal variant. Children of short parents also grow short themselves.
The second most common cause is so-called constitutional developmental delay (CDD), which mainly occurs in boys. This means that there is a reduced rate of growth. The onset of puberty is delayed. Development is normal, but delayed.
Around three percent of all people are outside the normal height range (men up to 167 cm; women up to 153 cm) @ Yakobchuk Olena /AdobeStock
Other causes of short stature are
The medical history plays an important role in the diagnosis.
The following features are essential:
The question of family history also plays a central role here. The height of the parents can be used to predict the final height of the child.
The physical examination includes
The doctor can also carry out a skeletal age assessment. To do this, he x-rays the left hand, or the left knee in children under 1.5 years of age.
A comprehensive blood count, which shows the levels of thyroid and growth hormones, can provide further indications of short stature.
The treatment depends on the cause of the short stature. If there is an isolated growth hormone deficiency, doctors administer a synthetic growth hormone until the final height is reached.
However, this is only effective as long as the child has not yet completed length growth. However, there is still no treatment for most causes.
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