Pediatric & Young Adult Endocrinology
Growth & Short Stature
Height is easy to measure and easy to misread. One point on a chart rarely explains what is happening. The pattern over time usually does.
When families notice
- Your child is noticeably shorter than classmates or siblings
- Growth seems to have slowed, or clothes and shoes last much longer than before
- Your child has crossed downward on the growth chart
- Height and weight no longer seem to match
- Puberty is starting earlier or later than expected and you are wondering about adult height
What it usually means
Many children who are short are growing normally for their family and their own timeline. Others show a pattern that deserves a closer look: growth that slows over a year, a change in growth velocity, or height that does not fit the rest of the picture.
Short stature is a finding, not a diagnosis. The useful question is how growth is moving over time, and whether anything else in the child’s health explains it.
What I look at
- Previous heights and weights, even if they were measured somewhere else
- The height of both parents and the pattern of growth in the family
- Birth weight, gestational age and early feeding history
- Pubertal stage, because puberty changes the timeline of growth
- Nutrition, chronic conditions and medications
- Bone age, when the question calls for it
How I approach it
I start with the measurements you already have and place them in order. A growth curve that is followed over time answers questions that a single visit cannot.
If testing is useful, it is chosen to answer a specific question, not to screen for everything at once. Sometimes the right plan is a repeat measurement in a few months, and knowing exactly what we are watching for.
When to see me
If growth has slowed, if your child has crossed percentiles, or if the explanation you were given still does not fit what you are seeing, a consultation can help you understand the pattern.
At a glance
- In person in New York City
- Telehealth
- English & Español
- No referral needed
Dr. Luisa F. González Ballesteros, MD
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Still not sure this is the right question
If the explanation you were given does not fit what you are seeing, a consultation can help you understand the pattern.