For parents

Short and tall stature

Height is inherited. The normal differences are around 30 cm. It is therefore a completely normal condition that there are tall and short adult humans. However, it cannot be fundamentally ruled out that short stature also conceals an inherited growth disorder such as a growth hormone deficiency. Tall stature can also have non-normal causes. A presentation of the child to a specialist in paediatric endocrinology can clear up this uncertainty.

Our growth calculator allows you to take a snapshot of your child's height and weight. In addition to this snapshot, it is very important to collect and assess measurements over a longer period of time. The growth curve enables a better assessment.

Early detection of growth disorders

Early detection of growth disorders is a concern of CrescNet, because growth can only be influenced as long as the biological bone maturation process is not yet complete.

We therefore ask the CrescNet affiliated paediatricians , to provide us with the values for the height and weight of children and adolescents measured in their practice. You may have seen our notice card at your paediatrician's office. The measurements sent in from the practices are constantly checked and any abnormal growth is reported back to the paediatrician. If you are worried about your child's growth, your paediatrician is a competent contact person.

Data privacy

In the facilities affiliated to the CrescNet, a clearly visible notice draws attention to the fact that in this practice all data for the early detection of growth disorders are sent pseudonymously to the CrescNet growth network in the Medical Faculty of the University of Leipzig. An information sheet displayed in the waiting area describes which data is collected, where it is stored and what is done with it.

If parents do not want this data to be transferred, they can clarify this directly with the paediatrician in charge. Data will then not be transmitted.

The address for deleting data that has already been recorded is also given in the information sheet. Data deletion can be done easily by sending an e-mail to info@crescnet.org.

Growth assessment

In large representative studies, the heights and weights of children are collected and evaluated in relation to their age. So-called percentile curves are produced, which provide information on how the measured values are distributed at a certain age. A newly measured value is plotted against these percentile curves and can now be read off whether the measured value is within the normal range.

At percentile 3, exactly 3% of the children of this age have a height below this fixed point and at percentile 97, again exactly 3% above it.

In medicine, it is assumed that there are an above-average number of cases with a manifest disorder below the 3rd and above the 97th percentile. Therefore, the background should be looked at more closely.

Important causes of growth disorders

With regard to early diagnosis, the focus is on children who can be optimally helped by timely substitution or therapy with growth hormone. In the case of a very late substitution with growth hormone, it is often not possible to achieve a good effect on the growth rates or the final height despite high doses.

Recognised indications for therapy with growth hormone are currently isolated or combined growth hormone deficiency, small for gestational age infants (SGA), Ullrich-Turner syndrome and Prader-Willi-Labhart syndrome, as well as progressive growth retardation in chronic renal failure.

You may also visit our collection of links on growth disorders if you are interested in the diagnosis and therapy of other growth disorders.

Link collection (only available in German)