When Do Girls Stop Growing?

In our life we are constantly going through changes. However, these are more dramatic when we are babies and young children going to become teenagers and young adults. From changing personalities to growing, every young boy and every young girl will experience many, many transformations. But with so many unfamiliar changes the body must go through, puberty is somewhat frighting for both teens and parents. At this stage, is common for kids to ask questions. And because girls are much faster to reach their adult form, they are the first affected by those changes. One of the most asked questions is when do girls stop growing, how much they will grow and when this episode will end.

WHEN DO GIRLS STOP GROWING?

The simple answer to when do girls stop growing, without taking into consideration multiple factors that can affect a kid’s height, is that most girls will reach their adult height at the age of fourteen or fifteen and stop growing at the age of seventeen.

But girls’ growth is altered by how soon or late they start their menstruation. During infancy and childhood, girls grow at a quick pace. When they first start their menstruation, the process of growth slows down until eventually it completely stops.

Girls typically have a growth spurt in one or two years before menstruation starts. This happens because, with the onset of puberty, the body releases hormones that cause a growth spurt, along with other changes. For most girls, puberty occurs between 9 and 13 years old.

Kids who enter later in puberty have more time to grow before reaching the phase that this growth process slows down and ends.

Said that, if a girl has her first menstruation at the age of 13, it means that around 11 or 12 years old, she will experience an escalation in her growth. During this time, girls can grow up to 3 to 4 inches (7-8cm) per year. After the first menstruation, growth slows down and they will only grow a few more inches, reaching their adult height.

During the growth phase, besides height, the girl will experience their breasts, hands feet and legs growing. Alongside, their hips will grow wider and rounder and their waist narrower. Likewise, girls will start noticing pubic hair and an increase in their body fat, which is needed to support a healthy reproductive system and menstrual cycle.

WHAT AFFECTS A GIRL’S HEIGHT?

There are three major factors that affect a girl’s height: genetics, nutrition, and environmental conditions.

Genetics

Genetics will ultimately give a perception of how tall (or short) a girl will be. Genetic conditions, such as Down Syndrome, Noonan Syndrome and Turner Syndrome will make children smaller than the other kids, but Marfan Syndrome will have the kids being taller.

The formula below can help you determine the approximate height a girl will grow.

-          Take the father’s height and subtract 5 inches.

-          Add this sum to the mother’s height.

-          Divide the result by two.

Nutrition

Nutrition is essential at any stage of our life, not only to grow taller but also to be healthy. Nutrition will impact height by 20% to 40%. Malnourished children are often shorter and smaller than kids that have a balanced diet, with the right amount of protein, calcium, vitamin A and D.

Environmental Conditions

Environmental conditions such as having access to healthy food, good health care and proper sanitation affect growth before and during puberty. Unfortunately, kids from third-world countries will experience being way shorter comparing to kids from good wealth countries.

Other Aspects to When Do Girls Stop Growing

Stress – When kids are stressed, their bodies will release fewer growth hormones.

Climate – Recent studies show that people that live in higher altitudes tend to be shorter due to having less oxygen in the air to feed their bodies. Teenagers also grow faster in the summer than in the other seasons.

Medications – The usage of some medications can slow growth, such as the chronic use of corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are often used to treat allergies and respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Physical activity – practising some physical activities can have an impact on growth. There are studies stating that swimming can help kids get taller. However, it’s not certain.

Chronic illness – Some chronic illnesses, like cystic fibrosis, kidney disease, and celiac disease and cancer can slow down the process of growing, leading to an unexpected shorter adult height.

Growth disorder – Hypothyroidism can cause slow growth because the thyroid isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, necessary to support normal growth. You can find out if your child has this disorder by asking her doctor for a blood test that will measure her thyroid levels. Tumours near the hypophysis, such as craniopharyngioma, can also affect girls’ growth.

HOW TO MAXIMISE GROWTH

You can’t do much to maximise growth and don’t expect your kid to be the tallest student in their class. In the end, girls will grow as much as they have to. However, there are some tips that can help to reach an optimal height before girls stop growing. Habits such as getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, and exerting regularly can help. Having a proper, well-balanced diet during infancy. Childhood and puberty are critical to healthy growth. Scientists have found that girls who are overweight enter puberty sooner than those who have a healthy weight. A teen who has delayed growth will typically have less time to grow before the end of her spurt.

 Therefore, it’s important for you to help your child understand the importance of healthy food and nutrition as well as the benefits of exercising. Also, there might be ways to slow down the phase that anticipates your child entering puberty. But this option should be discussed with a doctor as they can give you accurate information about the process.

Further, if you have any concerns about your kid’s growth, contact their paediatrician. If your child is older than fifteen years old and has not got her first menstruation, is recommended to book an appointment with a professional. Likewise, if you see your kid showing signs she soon will have her first menstruation and haven’t grown in the last two years, she might have a growth hormone deficiency and might need medical assistance.