Height predictor: how tall will my child be?
The mid-parental method is the standard quick estimate used by paediatricians: for a boy, (father + mother + 13 cm) ÷ 2; for a girl, (father + mother − 13 cm) ÷ 2. About 9 in 10 children end up within ±8.5 cm of it. Try it in the Height predictor above.
Examples
| Father | Mother | Son | Daughter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 cm | 155 cm | 169 cm (5' 7") | 156 cm (5' 1") |
| 175 cm | 160 cm | 174 cm (5' 9") | 161 cm (5' 3") |
| 180 cm | 165 cm | 179 cm (5' 10") | 166 cm (5' 5") |
| 185 cm | 170 cm | 184 cm (6' 0") | 171 cm (5' 7") |
| 190 cm | 175 cm | 189 cm (6' 2") | 176 cm (5' 9") |
What decides a child's adult height
About 80% of the variation in height between people comes from genes inherited from both parents, which is why the parents' average is the best simple predictor. The remaining 20% comes from nutrition, sleep, illness and the timing of puberty. Children who enter puberty early are tall for their age at first but stop growing sooner.
Other ways to estimate adult height
- Doubling: a child's height at age 2 is close to half of the adult height (slightly less than half for girls).
- Growth charts: a child usually stays near the same percentile line from age 2 until puberty.
- Bone age: an X-ray of the hand shows how much growth remains; this is the method doctors use when it matters.
Girls usually stop growing around age 14 to 15 and boys around 16 to 18. See the height growth chart for the average at each age. If a child drops across percentile lines or grows less than 4 cm a year before puberty, talk to a doctor.
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