If your teen is not getting taller during puberty, growing much more slowly than peers, or seems to be having a late growth spurt, get clear next-step guidance based on your child’s age, growth pattern, and puberty timing.
Share what you’re noticing—such as slow height growth during puberty, a stalled growth pattern, or signs of late puberty growth spurt—and receive personalized guidance tailored to your concern.
Many parents wonder when kids grow during puberty and whether a late growth spurt in puberty can still be normal. Growth timing varies, and some teens simply start later than classmates. But if your child is not getting taller in puberty, has much slower height growth than expected, or puberty seems delayed along with limited growth, it can help to look at the full picture: age, growth over time, family patterns, and other puberty changes. This page is designed to help parents understand what may be typical, what may suggest a puberty growth delay in boys or girls, and when to seek more individualized guidance.
Some teens appear to stop gaining height for a period, even after puberty has started. A pause may be temporary, but the timing and length of that slowdown matter.
A later-than-average growth spurt can still happen, especially if puberty begins later. Family history and the sequence of puberty changes can offer important clues.
If height gain is consistently slow or far behind expectations, it may help to review whether growth is delayed, stalled, or simply following a later pattern.
When puberty starts later, height growth may also begin later. This is a common reason parents worry about a child not getting taller in puberty.
A single month of slow growth is different from a longer pattern of slow height growth during puberty. Looking at trends is more useful than focusing on one moment.
Puberty growth delay in boys and puberty growth delay in girls can look different because the usual timing of puberty milestones is not the same.
Parents often compare their child with classmates, siblings, or online growth charts, but delayed growth in puberty is rarely one-size-fits-all. A child who seems short now may still be on track for a late puberty growth spurt, while another may benefit from a more timely medical review. By answering a few questions, you can get personalized guidance that reflects your child’s specific growth concern rather than generic advice.
Understand whether your child’s pattern may fit later puberty timing, slower but still expected growth, or something worth discussing with a clinician.
Get guidance focused on delayed growth in puberty, not broad parenting advice that misses the details of height and puberty timing.
Feel more prepared to track growth, notice key puberty changes, and decide when to bring concerns to your child’s doctor.
Sometimes, yes. Some teens naturally enter puberty later and have a later growth spurt. What matters is the overall pattern, including age, other puberty signs, and whether height growth is continuing at all.
Teens do not all grow on the same schedule. A child who is behind peers may still be within a normal range, especially with later puberty timing. But if growth seems very slow, stalled, or paired with delayed puberty signs, it is reasonable to look more closely.
Yes. Because puberty usually starts at different ages in boys and girls, a growth delay can show up differently. The timing of breast development, periods, testicular growth, and height acceleration can all help put growth into context.
Most children have a period of faster height gain during puberty, but the exact timing varies. Some grow earlier, some later, and some seem to grow slowly before a more noticeable spurt.
Consider getting guidance if your child is not getting taller as expected, growth has clearly slowed for a long period, puberty seems late and growth has not started, or something about the pattern feels off to you.
Answer a few questions about your child’s height changes and puberty timing to receive clear, topic-specific guidance on what may be typical and what next steps may help.
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Height Changes
Height Changes
Height Changes
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