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Did I stop growing? What can a teen do to grow taller?
I’m 14 years old and have been 5’6 for about a few months now and I’m not sure if I should be worried or not. I hit my first growth spurt back in 4th grade when I was 4’9 and grew, by the time I was in 6th grade I was 5’1 . Then 7th grade came and I grew 5 more inches. By the time the pandemic started I was 5’6. I started 8th grade and finished 8th grade (currently about to go to 9th) and still haven’t grown a single inch. The doctor says I have a lot of testosterone and should be exercising more so I did but no signs of growth yet. Is there a certain exercise or medication or any remedies I can take to increase my height or maximize it?
Community Director's note
Learn more with Dr. Siobhan Pittock, pediatric endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in this podcast:
How do kids grow? - Mayo Clinic Press
"The best we can do is take good care of our kids so they grow to their maximum potential: make sure they get plenty of sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and have healthy, realistic expectations."
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İn fact I only need 2 inch because I prepare for military school in my country.
I'm a 15 year old female and I'm around four foot nine inches, i haven't really had a "growth spurt". I got my period around twelve to thirteen but it goes through phases of being regular and irregular. I've always been on the short side, my mom is around five foot one/five foot two and my dad is five foot seven. Lets just say i haven't made the best choices at all... i feel into a really bad crowd at a very young age and i was smoking and drinking, i have now stopped. My sleep has always been irregular since i was younger, I had childhood
epilepsy but unknown what kind exactly (not sure if this is relevant), and i drink coffee somewhat regularly to wake me up in the mornings for school. Is there a chance i might grow taller? No one in my family is as short as me other than my grandmother (dads side) and even she is a bit taller than me. Is there anything else i can do to get taller? Is there a chance i will have a growth spurt?
Since 5th grade i have only been growing half an inch every year. I don't know what happened, but suddently i stopped growing. Right now im only 5'3 at 14.5. Any suggestions to grow taller?
@patriciajasper
My son is 15 and 6 feet tall and still growing but he has a friend who has shorter parents (about the same heights as your parents). He is 16 and only 5’ 2”-5’ 3” and hopes to grow a little more. He hasn’t had the best diet, doesn’t sleep well, vapes, etc. which hasn’t helped him grow as much as it is possible for him. My son drinks a lot of milk (always has) which has helped him grow even though he has been a picky eater. I have always prioritized taking multivitamins and supplements and getting good sleep with him.
What you want to focus on now is making sure you get good sleep (min. 8-9 hours for your age), good nutrition (lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits/vegetables, drink a minimum of 50% your weight in ounces, like a person who is 130 pounds should drink a minimum of 65 ounces water with electrolytes per day), exercise and avoid smoking, vaping, drugs, alcohol, risky behaviors to give your body the best chance for growth and good health. You may want to limit caffeine and take a good multivitamin. Seeing a nutritionist/dietitian can help you make good diet and supplement decisions to optimize your health. Limit social media and screen time and spend more time getting exercise to stretch and strengthen your heart/lungs/muscles.
Take good care of your mental and physical health as a priority because you only get one body for your life and you have many decades of life in front of you. Even if you can’t grow much more, love yourself for who you are and what God made special about YOU❣️🥰
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1 ReactionI remember worrying as everyone got taller and I didn't grow - much of our growth potential is ruled by our genetics - if we are in a family of shorter people, we will not get to be six feet tall. But, if you are a guy, relax - your growth can continue to age 18 or even 21, so you will probably approach 5'7" or more.
Here are some things you can do to assure optimum growth:
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/parenting/how-do-kids-grow/
By the way, if you smoke or vape to fit in with the popular kids, please quit. Not only is it bad for your lungs, it can limit your growth.
So far now, eat, sleep, exercise and try not to worry.
What do you think could gave caused me to stop growing as fast. I know it wasnt malnutrion because i have been slightly overweight my entire life. (I also dont vape or smoke and have never tried)
Starts and stops in growing are normal. My grandson didn't get taller for a whole year, and was quite upset about it, but recently grew two inches in six months. It is all in the hormonal signals your body sends. I don't know why your growth slowed, but if it is causing you a lot of anxiety, maybe you could ask your parents for a visit to your doctor for a complete physical to make sure there is no hidden cause. Have you asked your parents what their growth patterns were like?
By the way, you can have malnutrition even if overweight if you don't have a healthy diet. Did you read the information in the link I sent you?