There is a general parental concern about the final height of their kids. The consulting physician is usually faced with an uncomfortable situation, for which he/she usually does not have reliable tools to manage. The methods for final height prediction present problems and have been based on difficult parameters to be obtained, such as bone age. On the other hand, many therapeutic decisions are made taking into account the improvement on final height prediction, which can be misleading. Even in situations where a hormonal replacement may be needed to improve growth, how to evaluate the impact of such medication on final height? We analyze the methods most often employed to predict final height and emphasize the risks of false expectations raised on the base of such predictions. There is a consensus that we need to be cautious and clear to the families when proposing therapies said to improve the final height of their kids.
Short stature; Growth; Bone age; Final height; Final height prediction