- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
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Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
Children's health (5)
- Neck size: Better than BMI for kids?
- Fruit juice: Good or bad for kids?
- Child growth: Can you predict adult height?
- see all in Children's health
Preschoolers (1)
- Multivitamins: Do young children need them?
Elementary students (6)
- Depression treatment for children: What works?
- Baby teeth: When do children start losing them?
- Trampoline jumping: Safe for kids?
- see all in Elementary students
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Question
Child growth: Can you predict adult height?
What's the best way to predict a child's adult height?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
There's no proven way to predict a child's adult height. However, several formulas can provide a reasonable guess for child growth. Here's a popular example:
- Add the mother's height and the father's height in either inches or centimeters.
- Add 5 inches (13 centimeters) for boys or subtract 5 inches (13 centimeters) for girls.
- Divide by two.
Most children will reach an adult height within 4 inches (10 centimeters) of this estimation.
Another way to estimate a child's adult height is to double his or her height at age 2.
Remember, a child's height is controlled by genetics. It's also important to note that children grow at different rates. Some children begin their growth phases early, while others are late bloomers. If you're concerned about your child's growth, consult his or her doctor.
Next questionHygiene hypothesis: Early germ exposure prevents asthma?
- Sherar LB, et al. Prediction of adult height using maturity-based cumulative height velocity curves. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2005;147:508.
- Keane V. Assessment of growth. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.
- Rose SR, et al. A general pediatric approach to evaluating a short child. Pediatrics in Review. 2005;26:410.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 8, 2011.
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