Short Kids Need Self-Esteem, Not Hormones

Jacob Schreiman is almost 12 and he's only 4 feet 3 inches tall. His best buddy, who’s just a few months older, is nine inches taller than him.

In fact, most of Jacob's sixth grade classmates tower over him, which concerned his mom Rachel. So they took him to see Dr. Paul Kaplowitz, the chief endocrinologist at Children's National Medical Center.

They found out Jacob's in the first percentile on the growth chart, so 99% of the kids his age are taller.

Using an X-ray of Jacob's hand and comparing it to his peers, to get his bone age, Dr. Kaplowitz was able to predict his adult height. Jacob's dad is 5’5. His mom is just 5’1, so he wasn't expecting to be a giant.

Dr. Kaplowitz says children in the third percentile or shorter should be measured every six months to a year to track their growth. And in a new book about short kids, he cautions parents about requesting growth hormone for their kids.

He says the best thing you can do for a short child is to reassure them that they're okay.

So for now, no growth hormones for Jacob. And in the grand scheme of things, Jacob's friend said it best:

“It’s the inside that counts.”

Back to Research Articles