Constitutional Growth Delay

Updated on June 04, 2014
S.J. asks from Des Moines, IA
7 answers

My daughter is 11 and was diagnosed with constitutional growth delay (which is a fancy way of saying late bloomer). She had her growth plates x-rayed and it showed that her plates are open which is good because it means that her bones are still growing. She has the bone age a little less than a 9yo. Not a surprise since were all late bloomers in my family.

Anyway the doc said i should bring her in in 6 months to see if there is any signs of puberty (i.e. breasts) and if not she should see an endocrinologist.

I can't figure out why she would think she'd start developing when her bone age is so young. Can anyone explain this to me or has anyone gone through this?

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S.A.

answers from Chicago on

I wouldn't see an endocrinologist in 6 months. That's ridiculous! She's only 11. I thought my daughter would develop early. She's average, if not big for her age. She has some body fat on her as well. When I took her for her 11 yr check-up, there were no signs of puberty. She turned 12 in April, and still has no body hair which apparently comes at least a year before the periods start.

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Wow, she's only 11. The normal age range for puberty in girls is from 7 or 9 to 16 (depending on the source of info).

I have two daughters, the first showed no signs of puberty until age 14 (no periods until 15). The other is well into puberty at 12 (periods started at 11.5).

I don't see what the concern is.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/changing_body/de...#

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If you are all late bloomers, then I wouldn't worry about it.
Puberty for girls is more of a body fat ratio thing - bone age doesn't factor into it as far as I know.

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P.K.

answers from New York on

She is only 11. I would not worry. There is such a wide range of when kids develop. My granddaughter is 11. Nothing happening yet, thank goodness lol.

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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

If a kid goes into puberty too soon, they have their adolescent growth spurt too early then it stalls.

IMO, endocrinologists are the new orthodontists.

Good luck!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/teens/puberty-sex...

There is a wide range, of when girls start puberty. Some say they start between 8-13 years old. Some resources say it is between 9-14 years old.
So, a girl does not start puberty EXACTLY at 11 years old.
Some girls even start developing breasts by 9 years old.

My daughter is 11. She BARELY has any signs of breasts popping up. Many of her classmates, are that way. Then there are other girls who have HUGE breasts already. Such a wide range.
Some girls even get their periods at 9 years old. Some at 12. Some get hairy legs before they even get breasts. It really can vary.

I really do NOT understand why... your daughter's Pediatrician is concerned she has not developed breasts yet or that she has not shown puberty symptoms yet.

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C.B.

answers from Portland on

Can't answer your question but we are going through a similar scenario. My daughter is almost 8 but bone age is 5yrs. 9 mos. We have all sizes in our family and figured she has inherited the small genes ;-) They ran all kinds of blood tests and nothing is abnormal (other than not having any immunoglopin A). She has fallen off the growth chart and if she doesn't get back on track she is off to an endocrinologist. Not sure what else they'll be looking for. She is very bright and physically proportioned. Just tiny :/ She really struggles with accepting her size, which has been hard to deal with but she is doing better and better. Does your daughters size bother her? Thankfully, mine has made good friends and isn't teased about it. Mostly she hates being called "cute" or talked to like she is younger than she really is. She is also tired of having to be the "baby" when playing in groups.

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