Child Height Calculator
It is a common question for parents about their child’s height. Moreover, the future height of their child always remains a curiosity among parents. The child height calculator provides a proper formula to determine the height of the children. In addition, this calculator also estimates the potential for your child’s height.
The height of the children usually depends on the genetic map. Eighty percent of a child’s height depends on the DNA sequence they get from their parents. Moreover, environmental and nutritional factors also affect the potential of the child’s height. Only 20 percent of a child’s height depends on other environmental and nutritional factors.
What are the factors that can affect child height?
There are several factors that can affect child height. These factors can also affect the child’s height calculator results. Let us have a detailed look at these factors to understand.
- The most critical factor for a child’s height is genetics. Your DNA sequence plays a major role in the estimation of the child’s height. Genetics is the part of parents in the child’s future height. Therefore, both child height calculator and child height are dependent on the parent’s height genes. Child height calculators usually present the results according to the parent’s height.
- Nutritional factors also help a lot to gain the required height. Nutrition provides the energy for growth. Overweight children are usually taller than others. But staying fit is an important key for achieving ideal height.
- Hormonal levels are also an important factor for predicting a child’s height. Any up or down in hormonal levels during the growth phase can lead to drastic changes in the children’s height.
- Medical conditions like coeliac disease can also affect the future child’s height.
- Medical interventions like the intake of corticosteroids can affect the growth period of children.
- Genetic disorders may cause disturbance in a child’s height. Children suffering from Marfan’s syndrome may have a tendency to grow taller. In contrast, patients with Down’s syndrome tend to grow shorter than normal children.
How does genetics determine the child’s future height?
Scientific studies suggest that inheritance determines about 60-80% of a child’s height and appearance. Inheritance patterns differ for both men and women. So there may be a height difference between males and females. Moreover, ethnic populations also affect a child height calculator. There are also different genetic combinations in different communities. Asian and African populations possess lower height inheritance.
Inheritance helps to determine the child’s height according to their parents. Therefore, a child height calculator usually evaluates the child’s future height according to the height of their parents.
How is the bone age measured to know about skeletal maturity?
Skeletal maturity is also important to determine the child’s height. Usually, after the fusion of epiphysis, the growth stops. Therefore, there is a need to know about skeletal maturity. Bone age studies provide information about skeletal maturity.
Moreover, bone age study includes a simple X-ray of the left wrist, fingers, and hand. This procedure is painless. A person usually undergoes radiation exposure to get a clear X-ray.
The person’s X-ray is compared with the normal bone growth X-rays. The ends of long bones contain growth cells that increase the growth of the bones. These are usually growth plates that are present during childhood and early adolescents.
These growth plates convert into epiphyseal lines with passing age. This process is known as epiphyseal closure or fusion of growth plates. In addition, this phase ends at 12-16 years of age for girls. And, it usually ends at 14-19 years for boys.
Growth plates are usually visible on a child’s X-ray. These plates are usually darker than the normal bones because of fewer minerals. It changes appearance with increasing age. A doctor can easily evaluate bone maturity by reviewing these X-rays images. X-ray of the child will help to assess the following points.
- Child’s final future height
- At which time there will be the start of puberty
- For how long the child will continue growing
What are the factors that can affect skeletal maturity?
There are several factors that can affect skeletal maturity as well as growth. These problems require a special assessment to treat these diseases properly. These factors are as follows:
- Adrenal gland diseases
- The deficiency of growth hormones may hinder skeletal bone growth
- Deficiency of thyroid hormones
- Genetic diseases
- Orthopedic and orthodontics disorders
How do growth charts help to evaluate child height?
Growth charts are an important tool to assess a child’s height in the future. These growth charts are dependent on the regular measurements of weight, height, head size, and body mass index. Many doctors use these growth charts to assess the height of children.
The most recommended growth charts for infants and children are WHO and CDC charts. In addition, these charts are helpful to determine the puberty onset in a younger child.
What are the child height calculator formulas to determine the height of children?
The most commonly used and accurate child height calculator is the Khamis-Roche formula. This child height calculator formula is independent of skeletal age. This child height calculator uses the parent’s height and child’s sex, age, height, and weight.
The easiest child height calculator formula is the Mid-parental height formula. This height calculator formula usually requires the parent’s height to determine the child’s height.
There is also another conventional calculator formula to determine the child’s height. This method is Roentgen radiation. This method usually requires radiation to get an X-ray. This X-ray is an important tool to determine bone age. In this way, this method provides an accurate height prediction by using an X-ray of the child’s hand.
How to use a child height calculator to evaluate the child’s future height?
There are different height calculator formulas to determine the child’s height. We will use a one-by-one formula to understand the application of these formulas.
Khamis-Roche formula
You can easily evaluate the height of your child by this formula. You only need to put values in the formula. This formula is acceptable for children of four years of age or above. Moreover, this child height calculator formula does not depend on skeletal maturity or bone age. This method is one of the most accurate formulas to determine child height.
This method is dependent on the parent’s height that confirms the genetics. Moreover, this formula also uses a child’s present height, weight, and sex to determine the child’s height.
The margin of any error is 2.1 inches for boys and 1.7 inches for girls. This child height calculator formula is less accurate for different ethnic populations.
Mid-parental child height calculator
This child height calculator formula is the easiest method to evaluate the child’s height. This formula is dependent only on the parent’s height. There is an example of this formula.
Mid-parental height = (Mother’s height + father’s height) ÷ 2
- To determine a girl’s future height, subtract 2.5 inches or 6.5 cm
Girl future height = Mid-parental height – 2.5 inches/6.5 cm
- To determine a boy’s future height, add 2.5 inches or 6.5 cm
Boy future height = Mid-parental height + 2.5 inches/6.5 cm
- There may be a chance of four inches of error either for girls or boys.
Roentgen radiation method
You only need to get an X-ray of the child’s hand for this formula. This X-ray is compared with the other standard and normal X-rays of bone. In this way, the X-ray difference will determine the bone age and the child’s future height.
Conclusion
A child height calculator is an important tool to evaluate the child’s height. Parents are usually very conscious about their child’s height. It is a common question of interest for parents. A child’s height depends on the genetics received from their parents.
Genetics plays a main role in determining the future height of your children. There are several nutritional and environmental factors that can affect the growth period of children. In addition, there may be several medical conditions that can also affect the child’s height. Moreover, there are also some hereditary disorders that are associated with disturbed growth patterns.
There are various child height calculator formulas that are used to assess a child’s future height. These formulas are slightly different for girls and boys. Moreover, there may be a chance of mistakes in these formulas. So, your child’s height is dependent on the polygenes delivered on the DNA sequence.
Frequently asked questions(FAQs)
At which age does growth stop completely for boys and girls?
For females, the growth rate is faster in childhood till puberty. Girls achieve maximum adult height at the age of 14-15 years. The maximum average height at age 20 for girls is 163 cm.
The maximum growth spurt for males occurs at puberty, usually two years later than girls. They continue to gain body mass index. The maximum average height for boys at age 20 is 177 cm.
Is it possible to get taller after puberty?
Height is dependent on genetics and skeletal maturity. The closure of growth plates indicates that there will be no further growth. So it means a human cannot grow taller after the growth plates closure.