First time mothers may sometimes be astonished by the rate at which boys grow. They may ask themselves questions such as, when do they stop growing? A parent to a boy and a girl twins may see significant differences between the two children by the age of 17. However, boys will stop growing at around age 17.
But why are there differences between the growth rate of boys and girls? Which are these height and age factors that make up the difference between the boys and girls?
We’ve put together some information that will help you (source: https://www.heightgrowthclub.com)
Puberty
The onset of puberty is one of the main factors that contribute to the differences between boys and girls. They experience puberty differently. So for boys, the start of puberty may not determine how tall they’ll eventually be. However, puberty is a significant factor that determines when height growth starts and ends.
During puberty, boys may grow an average of 9.5 centimeters. Essentially, they can be divided into two categories; the early maturers and late maturers.
The boys that start puberty as early as 11 are the early matures. The late maturers start puberty at around the age of 13. And even though both categories may gain the same height, the late maturers may grow at a faster rate to make up for the lost time.
The average height for boys is around 5 feet 10 inches tall. That is by the age of 20.
Research shows that the period at which the boys are the girls experience puberty determines how tall they become. For example, girls that experience puberty at an early age and develop breasts will generally be shorter. In contrast, boys that experience puberty at an early age will be taller.
Inherited Factors
There are also other factors that will affect the height of both boys and girls. For example, the diet that a mother maintains during pregnancy may play an important role. Other factors like the activity level of the birth mother will also determine how tall they become. A particular study shows that if a mother smoked during pregnancy, the girl may be shorter by as much as two centimeters.
Medical conditions may also play a role and they may slow down the growth process. That is for both boys and girls.
Furthermore, boys tend to grow faster than girls from childhood. That is why a parent to both a boy and a girl may get worried when the girl seems not to catch up with the boy. But it is natural.
The height of the mother may also determine the height of the girls. And as such, the taller the mother, the taller the girl will be.
In that regard, you will notice that the doctors use different chats for both boys and girls.
Diet
Obese boys will have a lower growth rate than the girls. Their growth plates may close much sooner than is normal before attaining their optimal height. In such a case, the girls may seem to grow much better than their counterparts. Also, malnutrition will affect both genders, though not at the same rate.