Parents always want to know how tall their child is going to be. They are so fixated on that growth curve, the first thing they want to know when I walk in the room is "What's my child's height? What's my child's weight? Do you think their feet are too big? Do they look like they're going to be tall?" And you know baby's come in all shapes and sizes, and really it's not a hard science.
We cannot tell at birth if your child's going to be tall or short. Remember, genetics takes a huge role in this, and if your parents are short, you probably will be short. If your parents are tall, you probably will be tall.
There are some crude calculations. You can add both parents' height together in inches, and then if the child is a boy add five inches, and if the if child is a girl subtract five inches, and divide it by two. That will be a crude estimate of your child's adult height, and that's usually right within four inches; but that's four inches whether you're five foot five or five foot nine, it's a big difference. It's a very crude calculation.
The other way we do it is if you take the child's height at two years of age and double it, that might be their estimated final adult height. Nutrition plays a factor and genetics play a factor, so I never like to commit to a number.
About video: Learn how to estimate how tall your baby will grow up to be from pediatrician Dyan Hes, M.D. in this Howcast video about baby development.
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