How to Calculate What a Child's Height Will Be
Calculating your child's height is based on gender, the height of both of parents and the child's diet and activity level. A number of methods exist and none is definitive. However, it can be fun to guess what your child's height will be, and for some kids, it may be medically necessary 3. As long as you can track a few statistics, you can gauge the potential range for your child's full height.
Gather the required statistics. Your child's height and weight, age and gender are all required for the closest guess. Also write down the height of each parent.
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Add the parents' heights together. If your child is a boy, add 5 inches and divide by two. This number is the estimated height for a boy. If your child is a girl, subtract 5 inches and divide by two. The result is the estimated height for a girl. Most children are within 4 inches of this number when they reach their full adult height.
Check your baby book. Another method of estimating height is to take your child's height at the age of 2 and simply double it. This estimate is less accurate than the calculation in Step 2, but it remains a popular approach.
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Use an online tool. Many online sites include a calculator that uses the data to run the calculation for you. Note whether the site requires a specific age, as many height calculators assume a child is either over age 2 or 4, which can make a significant difference in the final number.
Have your child's wrist X-rayed. X-rays can determine with specificity your child's chronological age. This painless procedure evaluates the growth-plate status in your child's wrist compared to the range of normal development. Using this information, doctors can pinpoint any growth or hormone issues that may be emerging if your child's age and the maturation of her skeleton are at odds. It also helps doctors treat children who have conditions that may affect their growth.
Tips
Your child's height may vary, depending on the family history and grandparents' heights.
Warnings
Health providers prefer to minimize x-ray exposure unless medically necessary.
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References
- Wright State University: Stature Prediction
- Kids Health: X-Ray Exam: Bone Age Study
- Kids Growth: Height Calculator
- Fryar CD, Gu Q, Ogden CL, Flegal KM. Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2011-2014. Vital Health Stat 3. 2016;(39):1-46.
- Our World in Data. Human Height.
- Statline. Lifestyle, preventive screening; sex, age; 2010-2013.
- Mamidi RS, Kulkarni B, Singh A. Secular trends in height in different states of India in relation to socioeconomic characteristics and dietary intakes. Food Nutr Bull. 2011;32(1):23-34. doi:10.1177/156482651103200103
- Deaton A. Height, health, and inequality: the distribution of adult heights in India. Am Econ Rev. 2008;98(2):468–474. doi:10.1257/aer.98.2.468
- Yang XG, Li YP, Ma GS, et al. [Study on weight and height of the Chinese people and the differences between 1992 and 2002]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi. 2005;26(7):489-93.
- Fryar CD, Gu Q, Ogden CL, Flegal KM. Anthropometric reference data for children and adults: United States, 2011–2014. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 3(39). 2016.
- Hathaway ML. Trends in Heights and Weights. Yearbook of Agriculture, 1959.
- Stoudt HW, Damon A, Mcfarland R, Roberts J. Weight, Height, and Selected Body Dimensions of Adults. United States - 1960 -1962. Data from the National Health Survey. Series 11. No. 8.
Tips
- Your child's height may vary, depending on the family history and grandparents' heights.
Writer Bio
Carolyn Williams began writing and editing professionally over 20 years ago. Her work appears on various websites. An avid traveler, swimmer and golf enthusiast, Williams has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mills College and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's College of California.