It is not possible to determine until what age each individual will grow. He will grow as long as his bones have non-calcified growth cartilage, regardless of chronological age. The maturation and calcification of these cartilages is directly related to the period in which the puberty.
The more advanced the puberty, the greater the likelihood that the cartilages have already closed. The degree of "ripening" of the cartilage can be assessed by a radiograph of the hands and wrists (bone age). At age 18, on average, cartilage is already closed.
Growth is a very dynamic process, beginning at conception and extending into adulthood, with intensities varying in the different phases of the child's and adolescent's life, being different between the sexes.
We men, puberty and growth spurt begins on average 2 years later than in the women. This difference prolongs pre-pubertal growth, which is associated with a more intense spurt and a longer period of growth in males, with men averaging 13 cm higher than females.
A child grows, on average, more than 4 cm per year. However, at puberty, this value rises to 12 cm or 13 cm per year. If growth is less than 4 cm or 6 cm at puberty, a pediatric endocrinologist or endocrinologist should be consulted.
In some situations, such as in Turner Syndrome, in children born small for gestational age, in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome, in children with chronic renal failure, and in other diseases that present with short stature, treatment with replacement may be necessary of GH, the growth hormone. This hormone should only be used if it is prescribed by the endocrinologist.
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