This height calculator can predict your child’s adult height both in the case of girls and boys through their current age and height. More on this topic you can find below the form.
How does the height calculator work?
This tool uses a method that is a bit complex since it takes account of the current child’s age, gender, height, weight and beside these measurements, as well the parents’ heights.
The ratios taken into account for each case were deducted from statistical data, but since the child's height is determined by genetics and environmental factors hard to be well defined and measured.
The value returned by the height calculator should be regarded with caution however as the rhythm in which the children develop is different from one case to another and so are the growth rates.
The best way to determine whether things are on the right track or there is something wrong with your kid’s height is to consult a doctor.
How to predict a child's adult height?
There is no 100% accurate method to do that, instead there are few ways to predict a child’s adult height. These methods can provide a reasonable estimation for child growth based on statistical data.
One of the easiest and best known way to predict your baby height is a 3 steps method:
a) Add the two parents heights in either inches or centimeters;
b) To the value obtained above (a) add 5 inches (13 centimeters) in case of boys OR substract 5 inches (13 centimeters) in case of girls;
c) Divide the value obtained above (b) by two. This is the estimated child’s adult height.
Statistical data have shown that by the time they grow up, most children will reach an adult height similar to the estimate above within a range of +/- 4 inches (10 centimeters).
Example calculation:
Let’s take for instance the case of a five year old boy with a height of 39 inches and with his parent’s heights of 5ft 4in and 6ft 1in. The result displayed is: “As an adult your child will probably be 5 feet and 6 inches tall.”
What factors influence child’s growth?
Some of the best known factors that influence a person’s height includes (but is not limited to):
■ The personal genetics – most of the studies on this topic suggested that the percentage that the genetics influences a child’s height vary from 60% to 80%.
■ Nutrition – bad nutrition can negatively influence child’s health while good nutrition can help children grow up;
■ Health condition;
■ Sports activities;
■ Environmental factors.
What is the growth rate of a child?
The growth rate defines the different speeds of growth during the development of a human, through infancy, toddler period, puberty and teenage.
The growth rate starts with a peak of development for toddlers and infants, then slows down and starts declining to then increase again to another growth peak during puberty.
After puberty the growth rate declines again at a slow rate until adulthood.
In the U.S the average male height for young 20 year olds is 5 ft 9 in and for females 5 ft 4 in, these are about 1,73 and 1.62 m.
References
1) Harris EF, Weinstein S, Weinstein L, Poole AE. (1980) Predicting adult stature: a comparison of methodologies. Ann Hum Biol. 7(3):225-34.
2) Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH, Marshall WA, et al. (1975) Assessment of Skeletal Maturity and Prediction of Adult Height (TW2 Method) New York: Academic Press.
26 Dec, 2014