ABSTRACT
Parents of children with short stature often seek medical services because of a possible ‘endocrine’ cause; endocrine diseases are rare and no more than 5% of causes. As a general rule, a child's potential height ranges between the averages of the parents’ heights. Tall parents usually have tall children. Children with chronic renal disease, who are receiving dialysis or transplant, commonly have poor linear growth, which is a high risk factor of poor school performance, frequent hospitalisations and death. Children are tall from early childhood, have tall parents, high normal growth rate and a bone age compatible with chronological age. Children with Marfan's syndrome are at risk of early death because of progressive aortic dilatation and rupture. Children with constitutional delay have a normal growth rate, but delayed onset of puberty and bone age. Children's growth is like tree growth: they grow faster in spring and summer; therefore, growth velocity should be measured for one year.
