At what age do males stop growing and developing?
Disease description:
My son has been shorter than his peers since childhood. He is now 16 years old, but his height is only 168 cm. I would like to know at what age boys typically stop growing.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xie Zixing
Boys typically stop growing around ages 22–23. To determine whether further height increase is still possible, the most accurate method is a bone age assessment, which evaluates whether the epiphyseal growth plates have fused; if they remain unfused, additional growth is still possible. Human growth follows a predictable pattern: at birth, average height is approximately 50 cm; during the first year of life, infants typically grow about 25 cm; between ages 2 and 12, average height (in cm) can be estimated using the formula: (age × 7) + 75; and during puberty, an additional growth spurt of approximately 25 cm is common. However, short or tall stature is strongly influenced by genetic factors.
