My 12 year old son is 4ft.7in. and he weighs 65 pounds. I see other kids his age and they are so much taller. My son is growing taller, but slowly. But he is not gaining weight. He is very active. He plays football and basketball. He is outside most of the time, when the weather is good. He never stops playing, running or riding his bike. He has LOTS of energy. Should I be giving him vitamins to help him grow? He eats pretty good, but I cant get him to eat breakfast, he says he's not hungry in the mornings. Should I be worried? I would appreciate any advice, thanks.
If he won't eat breakfast try the carnation instant breakfast. That is what my mother-in-law had to do for her youngest because she said she couldn't eat anything before school because it was too early. She would drink these. It might work.
I wouldn't stress - sounds pretty normal to me. Depends on his growth pattern and the size and development of the family. We were all late bloomers and very short/tiny until HS!!!! Just run it by the Dr... and it can't hurt to give him vitamins, but that won't change his growth pattern. Someday you'll look UP at him and wonder why you ever worried... : )
No, don't worry. Just keep making sure he eats nutritious food.
I've seen a number of boys who were unusually small and short for many years, but then sometime during high school they suddenly shot up and became taller than average. Don't worry about it.
Definitely check with his Dr. but there isn't necessarily a problem. My brother was significantly shorter than his peers in middle school and the beginning of high school. He finally started growing at the end of his sophomore year and continued to grow into his early 20's.
My husband had to take growth hormones to grow because he had a head injury as a baby that affected his pituitary gland which controls growth. The growth hormones will only work if you have a hormone deficiency and then will only make you as tall as you would have naturally grown. My husband grew to be about as tall as his father. If you don't have deficiency in growth hormones, taking them will not make you grow.
Sounds like our son at that age. He was always smaller than many of the other boys (and girls often too) and he wasn't happy about it but of course, nothing we could do about it. When he hit his 2nd year of high school all of the sudden he grew 5 inches in one year and gained weight that was proportionate for his height. He loved it but nothing changed on his eating habits or routine. None of us in the family are big breakfast eaters and usually a piece of butter toast is about all we can get the kids to eat before school with some juice. Our son is now in college and he's 5'11" and weighs 165 pounds. It sounds like your son is doing like lots of others and maybe you can find something that he likes for breakfast just to get him started so he doesn't get hungry before lunch time.
If he hasn't had one recently then why not have a check up with the doctor to ease your mind. I'm a big vitamin believer and that's what I do for a living so I always think that is a good idea. A good breakfast would be great too, but.... not sure it is worth a battle. Be sure he is getting enough protein.
What does his doctor think about his growth? What size is your family? (how tall are you, how tall is his dad, what about grandparents, etc). My son is 12.5 and is 5 ft 1 inch and 108 lbs. He is NOT large for his age. But neither is he small.
If your son's growth seems to fall outside of what is "normal" and expected for YOUR FAMILY... then you might ask your doctor about growth hormones. I actually know a family that had to do this with their son. He, too, was unusually small for his age (and family genetic history). So much so that he was teased.. and was a foot shorter than his own YOUNGER brother.... The injections were expensive but worked and had a dramatic effect. He is now, as a young adult (19 I think?), close to 6 feet tall... like his younger brother and his dad.
i am 13 years old 4ft 6 and my parents tell me that im going to get a growth spert.
you can ask his doctor, but a lot of boys grow later. My dad and some other boys I knew from highschool, did not grow until college. Or he may be short, how tall are both sides of your family and when did the guys get thier growth spurts. No need to worry at this time.
What does his pediatrician think? Has there ever been a concern in the past regarding his growth or weight? I would be concerned if he has begun to show signs of puberty. If he has, then his growth plates could fuse giving him less time to grow. He may be a late bloomer and will have his growth spurt in a few years. At any rate, I would take him in for a check up and ask the doc's opinion.
Good luck and God bless!
