When Do Girls Stop Growing? Median Height, Genetics & More

In general, boys begin puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 years old and experience growth spurts between 12 and 15 years old. This means their biggest ... HealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeHeightinGirls:WhenDoTheyStopGrowing,What’stheMedianHeight,andMoreMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonMarch13,2019GrowthandpubertyPubertyandbreastdevelopmentQ&A:BreastgrowthGirlsvs.boysMedianheightHeightandgeneticsGrowthdelaysTakeawayWhenwillagirlstopgrowing?Girlsgrowataquickpacethroughoutinfancyandchildhood.Whentheyreachpuberty,growthincreasesdramaticallyagain.Girlsusuallystopgrowingandreachadultheightby14or15yearsold,oracoupleyearsaftermenstruationbegins.Learnmoreaboutgrowthingirls,whattoexpectwhenithappens,andwhenyoumaywanttocallyourchild’spediatrician.Howdoespubertyaffectgrowth?Girlstypicallyhaveagrowthspurtintheonetotwoyearsbeforemenstruationstarts.Formostgirls,pubertyoccursbetween8and13yearsoldandthegrowthspurtoccursbetween10and14yearsold.Theygrowjust1to2additionalinchesintheyearortwoaftergettingtheirfirstperiod.Thisiswhentheyreachtheiradultheight.Mostgirlsreachtheiradultheightbyage14or15.Thisagecouldbeyoungerdependingonwhenagirlfirstgetsherperiod.Youmaywanttocontactyourchild’sdoctorifyourdaughteris15andhasn’tyetbegunherperiod.What’stheconnectionbetweenpubertyandbreastdevelopment?Breastdevelopmentisoftenthefirstsignofpuberty.Breastsmaystartdeveloping2to21/2yearsbeforeagirlgetsherperiod.Somegirlsmaynoticebreastbudsonlyayearaftertheirfirstperiods.Othersmaynotbegindevelopingbreastsforthreetofouryearsafterbeginningmenstruation.Thebudsmaynotappearatthesametime,buttheyusuallyappearwithinsixmonthsofoneanother.Q&A:BreastgrowthDogirlsgrowatadifferentspeedthanboys?Pubertyhitsboysslightlylaterthanitdoesgirls.Ingeneral,boysbeginpubertybetweentheagesof10and13yearsoldandexperiencegrowthspurtsbetween12and15yearsold.Thismeanstheirbiggestgrowthspurthappensabouttwoyearsafteritdoeswithgirls.Mostboysstopgainingheightbyage16,buttheirmusclesmaycontinuetodevelop.What’sthemedianheightforgirls?AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC),themean,oraverage,age-adjustedheightforadultwomen20yearsoldandupis63.7inches.That’sjustunder5foot4inches.HeightbyageAt8yearsold,theearlieststartofpuberty,halfofallAmericangirlswillbeunder50.2inches(127.5cm)tall.Thismeansthatalotofgrowthoccursduringashortperiodoftime.ThefollowinginformationcomesfromaCDCchartfrom2000:Age(years)50thpercentileheightforgirls(inchesandcentimeters)850.2in.(127.5cm)952.4in.(133cm)1054.3in.(138cm)1156.7in.(144cm)1259.4in.(151cm)1361.8in.(157cm)1463.2in.(160.5cm)1563.8in.(162cm)1664in.(162.5cm)1764in.(163cm)1864in.(163cm)Whatroledogeneticsplayinheight?Yourheighthasalottodowithhowtallorshortyourparentsare.Growthpatternstendtoruninfamilies.Whenlookingatthegrowthofchildren,pediatriciansoftenaskparentsabouttheirownheight,familyheighthistory,andgrowthpatterns.Thereareacoupleofdifferentwaystopredicthowtallagirlmaygrow.Oneofthesemethodsiscalledthemid-parentalmethod.Tousethismethod,addtheheightininchesofthemotherandfather,thendividethatbytwo.Then,subtract21/2inchesfromthatnumber.Todeterminethepredictedheightforaboy,you’dadd21/2inchestothenumber.Forexample,ifagirlhasafatherwho’s72inchestallandamotherwho’s66inchestall,thepredictedheightforthegirlwouldbefoundwiththefollowingcalculations:72+66=138138/2=6969–2.5=66.5Sothepredictedheightforthegirlis66.5inchesor5foot6.5inches.Thisnumberisaroughestimate,however.Youmayseeamarginoferrorofupto4inchesineitherdirection.Ingeneral,thetallertheparentsare,thetallerthechildwillbe,andviceversa.Whatcausesgrowthdelays?Therearemanyfactorsthataffectgrowth,rangingfrommalnutritiontomedications.Somegirlsmayseeadelayingrowthduetocertainhealthconditions,suchasgrowthhormoneissues,severearthritis,orcancer.Geneticconditionsplayaroleaswell.Forexample,girlswithDownsyndrome,Noonansyndrome,orTurnersyndromemaybeshorterthantheirfamilymembers.GirlswithMarfan’ssyndromemaygrowtallerthantheirfamilymembers.Ifyouhaveconcernsaboutyourchild’sgrowth,contacttheirpediatrician.Onceagirlreachespuberty,growthwilltypicallystopacoupleofyearsafterherfirstperiod.Ateenwhohasdelayedgrowthwillhavelesstimetogrowbeforetheendofherspurt.What’sthetakeaway?Girlsmaygainafootormoreinheightfromchildhoodthroughpuberty.Gettingenoughsleep,eatingnutritiousfoods,andexercisingregularlyareallgoodhabitsthatcanhelpthemgrowinahealthyway.Ifyouhaveconcernsaboutyourchild’sgrowthpattern,contacttheirdoctorsoonerratherthanlater.Theirdoctorwilllikelyaskaboutyourfamily’sgrowthhistory.They’llexamineyourchildandlookcarefullyatyourchild’sgrowthcurve.Sometimes,theirdoctormayusetestssuchasX-raysorbloodteststohelpthemdeterminecausesofgrowthdelays.LastmedicallyreviewedonMarch13,20196sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.AmericanAcademyofPediatrics.(2015).Predictingachild’sadultheight.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/Glands-Growth-Disorders/Pages/Predicting-a-Childs-Adult-Height.aspxCDC/NationalCenterforHealthStatistics.(2017).Bodymeasurements.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htmCDC/NationalCenterforHealthStatistics.2to20years:Girlsstature-for-ageandweight-for-agepercentiles.(2000). cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41c072.pdfFryerCD,etal.(2018).Meanbodyweight,height,waistcircumference,andbodymassindexamongadults:UnitedStates,1999-2000through2015-2016.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr122-508.pdfGrowthandyour13-to18-year-old.(2015). kidshealth.org/en/parents/growth-13-to-18.htmlPuberty.(2018).youngwomenshealth.org/2010/04/21/pubertyFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonMarch13,2019ReadthisnextWhenDoBoysStopGrowing?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHTheaverageAmericanmanisabout5foot9inches.Curiousabouthowlongittakeshimtoreachthatheight?Findoutwhenboysstopgrowinghere.Learnhowtallaboyinthe50thpercentileforhisagewillbe.Alsodiscoverhowparents’heightscanhelppredictachild’sheight,whatcausesgrowthdelays,andmore.READMOREDoGuysKeepGrowingUntilAge25?MedicallyreviewedbyHarshilMatta,DOMostguysreachtheirpeakhikeatage16,andgrowverylittleaftertheageof20.Inrarecases,somepeoplemayhitpubertyintheirlateteensandcontinuetogrowintotheirearlytwenties.Learnwhatfactorsinfluencehowtallyou'llbe,andhowtopredictyourfinalheight.READMOREWhenDoFeetStopGrowing?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNAThebonesinyourfeettypicallystopgrowinginyour20s,butchangescanoccurlaterinlifethatmaymakeyourfeetappearbigger.READMOREWhat’stheAverageHeightforWomenandHowDoesThatAffectWeight?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHInthe1960s,theaverageAmericanwomanwasaround5feet3inchestall.Howtallisshetoday?DiscovertheaverageheightforwomenintheUnitedStatesandothercountriesaroundtheworld.Alsoexploretherelationshipbetweenheightandweight,gettipsifyou’reoverweightforyourframe,andmore.READMOREDoesLiftingWeightsStuntGrowth?MedicallyreviewedbyDanielBubnis,M.S.,NASM-CPT,NASELevelII-CSSIfyou'reaparentofachildunderage18,youmightbewonderingifthestrengthtrainingworkoutsyourchildisdoingatthegymoraspartofa…READMOREHowtoIncreaseYourHeight:IsThereAnythingICanDo?MedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.Yourgeneticsplaythemostimportantroleinhowtallyouare.Buttherearecertainfactorsyoucancontrolthatmayhelpincreaseyourheightor…READMOREToddlerGrowthSpurtsandDevelopment:WhattoExpectMedicallyreviewedbyCarissaStephens,R.N.,CCRN,CPNIfyourtoddlerisgrowinglikeaweed,findouthowmuchgrowthisnormal,andhowyoucanhelpthemdevelopproperly.READMOREWhenDoBoysStopGrowing?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHTheaverageAmericanmanisabout5foot9inches.Curiousabouthowlongittakeshimtoreachthatheight?Findoutwhenboysstopgrowinghere…READMORETheAverageHeightsofMenAroundtheWorldMedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,M.D.Humanscomeinavarietyofshapesandsizes.SeehowtheaverageheightformenintheUnitedStatescomparesworldwide.READMORE