Child Height Predictor

Mid-parental height from mother and father

β€» This reflects genetic potential only. Actual adult height is also shaped by nutrition, sleep, activity and health, and can fall outside the range. If growth pace is a concern, a paediatrician can review growth charts and bone age.
Prediction by parent height
Parent average (cm)BoyGirl
FAQ
What is mid-parental height?
It estimates a child genetic height potential from the parents. For a boy it is (father + mother + 13) / 2 and for a girl (father + mother - 13) / 2, where 13 cm reflects the average difference in adult height between men and women.
How accurate is it?
Roughly two thirds of children end up within 8.5 cm of the figure, which means a third do not. It describes a range of likely outcomes rather than a target, and it should not be treated as a prediction of a specific number.
Why not use the child current height?
Predicting from current height needs bone age or pubertal stage, which is assessed with an X-ray at a clinic and is far more reliable than anything a web form can do. To compare with peers today, use the average height by age page instead.
What if a child tracks below the estimate?
Height responds to sleep, nutrition, activity and chronic illness as well as genetics. If a child drifts away from their growth curve or grows less than about 4 cm a year, a paediatrician can review the growth chart and bone age. A calculator result on its own is not a reason for concern.
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Predicting adult height from parents

Height is strongly heritable, so the parents measurements give a reasonable window for where a child is likely to finish. The most widely used approach is mid-parental height.

The formula

The 13 cm adjustment comes from the average adult height difference between men and women.

Read the range, not the number

Siblings raised in the same home routinely differ by several centimetres, and the timing of puberty shifts the finishing point in either direction. Adequate sleep and balanced nutrition during the growing years genuinely matter. Where growth pace itself is the worry, a clinic visit is far more informative than any formula.

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