Anyone Had Experience with an Endocrinologist for Teen Girl's Growth?

A friend of a friend had a daughter that also seemed to be on the slow track to developing. She did take the referral for endocrinologist and went for the consult. They did test ( I think it was blood tests and a couple of xrays over time). The idea was that if it seemed time or necessary they would start growth hormones, but it wasn't something that they walked in a just got for her. I think it was over a year that they decided to go ahead with them but for a short time. But like mentioned by someone else, both doctors worked closely with the family.

Doesn't sound too bad to me for 13 1/2 - in the next two years I think you could see a lot of growth. (I am short like you are too, about 5'1".) Keep helping her to eat healthy, fresh fruit smoothies, lots of vegetables. As for the social angle - small chests are not a bad thing these days, lots of actresses have small chests, and "bralettes" (small triangle bras, best for small chests, often pullover style) are very popular for ladies, many beautiful options available, maybe get your daughter some of those. And if your daughter has a few more months/years of not dealing with her period, the other girls might secretly be jealous of HER!

My husband's co-worker has very petite daughters. The mother is 5'2. Not sure about father.

The pediatrician watched the younger daughter for a year, and when she fell well below the 5% referred her to an endocrinologist. I believe they had regular appointments with this endocrinologist and then the daughter 'fell into the category' or medical diagnosis of dwarf. Once this was declared she began hormone treatments.

I think there was one other medical test they did before declaring the dwarf diagnosis, but I don't recall.

I have not heard any negative effects from her taking hormones and believe there have been positive results.

I just want to point out that the pediatrician and endocrinologist worked very closely with family to make sure they felt informed and supported, and really stayed on top of the daughter's developmental health. They were very hesitant to declare this diagnosis and treatment, and did not so until everything else was ruled out.

Hope this is a little helpful.

My story is similar to KM - I was tiny in junior high and had a sister four years younger who was bigger than I was. I entered high school at 4'10" and was 5'3" by my junior or senior year. I didn't get my period until I was 15 and didn't need a bra until then either. My mom was not a late bloomer, nor was my sister, so I was the odd one out in the family. Yes, I got teased in junior high, which really upset me at the time, but I did not get teased in high school. Even in junior high, I still had plenty of friends and there were a lot more people who were nice to me than they teased me.

I don't really think you need to see an endocrinologist at this point. I think your daughter is just a late bloomer. If she's still like this in another year, then it might be worth considering. Honestly though, if you know her growth plates are still open, I would just let nature take its course and not start her on extra hormones. My parents never took me to a specialist or did anything and I turned out to be a normal size in the end. I had been tiny my entire life, so it wasn't really a surprise that I was tiny in junior high.

It wouldn't hurt to talk to an endocrinologist, but she may just be petite. I was (and still am) small. Yes, it bothered me. In middle school girls were in juniors sizes and I was still in 7-14. My little sis is 3 years younger than me and was bigger than me when she was in 3rd and I was in 6th. Bra? Ha! I still don't need one (think Kelly Ripa). It was tough. I didn't get my period until the summer between 8th and 9th grade. Prom dress shopping sucked! I'm now 38 and 5'2" and 100lbs (and I've had 3 kids). I'm very proportionate--just petite.

My kids (boys) are all small. My 6th grade boy is 4'4" and 55lbs. He's about the size of a 3rd grader. He is always mistaken for much younger. Their dad was 4'9" when he started high school. He graduated 6' and grew another inch in college. So, maybe they'll be late bloomers like dad.

while it would be 'normal', that is within the recorded averages, for your daughter to hit puberty and a height spurt by now, it's by no means a cause for real worry yet.
if seeing an endocrinologist will give you and her some peace of mind, by all means go for it. but not if it's being done out of fear of being different.
i would handle the 'social embarrassment' by working her on that, not on 'fixing' what may be a simple genetic timeline.
khairete
S.

It sounds like she got your height. Not every woman gets a "womanly body". I never did. A lot of woman have small breasts and are not curvy. It's just a body type. I never outgrew it....I'm pretty much a stick with skinny legs and arms even at age 45. I HATED myself as a teen. I thought no guy would ever be attracted to me and in high school I never was asked out once...no one was interested then (but at that age people are just more immature). I have met quite a few woman with the same body type as me so it's not like it is that uncommon. I did not get my period until 14...for some girls it takes until age 15. Anyway....Sure, go ahead and talk to the endocrinologist but I think more importantly you should focus on a body positive image. LOTS of successful women are small and thin. Not all of us are curvy. All body types are OK!!! Focus on your daughter loving herself for who she is and focus on what makes her who she is...her strengths, her talents, her intellect, her passions. This is very hard when one is a teen and wishes to look different...but she has to accept and love herself for who she is! PS - My stepsister is 5 feet tall and very tiny/thin. She is beautiful...a gorgeous woman with a strong, smart personality. Her husband thinks she is a petite fireball. His nickname for her is "small fry".

I have a picture from my high school year book. I am about an inch taller than the guy next to me. After high school he shot up and is now 6' tall. Sometimes they just aren't ready to grow.

I think you should go see the doc and see what they think before worrying about something that might not even be a problem.

I do a lot of costumes. One dance class I have to make from a little girls size 8-10 all the way up to a 1X adult. The girl that wears the 8-10? She's in high school and she's about 5'. And popular and active and she is a flat as anything. She probably has zero body fat. But she accepts herself and is happy with her life.

my son was also in the 5 to 10 percentile his entire life! I am 5'1" and his dad was 5'6". We figured he would be small in stature but our pediatrician still referred us to an endocrinologist. The test the doctor ran did show that he would only grow to about 5'4". It did bother my son his whole adolescence that he was shorter than others. He was very athletic and always tried to out do the taller boys. Today my son is now almost 21 years old and he is 5'4". He is still short but he's also a bada** Marine. I don't know many 6 feet tall men that would mess with him today! LOL

As long as her growth plates are still open, she is not done growing. She will eventually hit puberty and then you'll have a whole new set of problems to deal with! LOL It's hard to go through those years and constantly compare yourself to others. Just keep reminding her that one day it will happen! Good luck and I'm sure all things will work out!

My cousin was tiny and undeveloped at 13 yo but back then they didn't send kids to endrocronolgists. She got her period at 16 and shot up to 5'7".

My girls developed early. That can be difficult too.