How to Predict Height

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Will your son or daughter be a basketball center or a horse-racing jockey? The answer usually lies somewhere in between, but all parents (and kids) seem to be curious about how tall their children will be. Height is determined by genetics (70%) and environmental factors (30%) like nutrition and exercise, and there are so many variables that height prediction cannot be an exact science. However, there are scientifically-grounded methods that can give a reasonably accurate idea of how tall your child will become.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Predicting a Child's Final Height Based on the Parents' Heights

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  1. It involves combining the parents’ heights, adjusting for child gender (the Mid-Parent Rule), and dividing by two.
    • This method derives from a 1948 article by Horace Gray in the journal Child Development, [1] and is still in widespread use today.
    • The margin of error is +/- 4 inches (10.2 cm), which may seem like a large amount (consider the difference of ending up either 5'2" or 5'10"), but is indicative of the difficulty of accurately predicting height in the face of so many variables.
  2. The method works in either inches or centimeters.
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  3. For a male child, increase the mother's height by one-twelfth (13/12 of actual height). [2]
    • For instance, if the father of a female child is 69 inches (180 cm), multiply by 12, then divide by 13, for an adjusted result of 63.7 inches.
    • Likewise, if the mother of a male child is 63 inches (160 cm), multiply by 13, then divide by 12, for an adjusted result of 68.3 inches.
  4. In the instance of a female child, with a father at 69 inches (180 cm) (adjusted to 63.7) and a mother at 63 inches (160 cm), the sum is 126.7 inches. For a male child, the sum is 69 in. (father) + 68.3 in. (adjusted mother) = 137.3 inches (348.7 cm).
  5. Using the examples in the last step, example 1 (female child) is 126.7 / 2 = 63.4 inches (161 cm), and example 2 (male child) is 137.3 / 2 = 68.7 inches (174.5 cm).
  6. Thus, a female child whose father is 69 inches (180 cm) tall and mother is 63 inches (160 cm) tall is predicted to reach 63.4 inches (161 cm) (5'3"). Likewise, a male child with parents the same height is predicted to reach 68.7 inches (174.5 cm) (5'9").
    • The formulas: ((69 x 12 / 13) + 63) / 2 = 63.3 [female child]; (69 + (63 x 13 / 12)) / 2 = 68.7 [male child].
    • There are also websites that will do the calculations for you if you enter the required heights.
    • Remember that with the range of accuracy in this method, the female child in the example above could reasonably expect to reach between 59.3 and 67.3 inches, based on assorted genetic and environmental factors.
  7. There are variations to the Gray Method that skip the 12/13 adjustment and simply add then divide by 2 the parents' heights, then add 3 or 5 inches (7.6 or 13 cm) for a male child or subtract 3 or 5 inches (7.6 or 13 cm) for a female child. [3] The results end up roughly similar to the original method.
    • Thus, for a female child, ((69 + 63) / 2) - 3 = 63 inches (160 cm), or ((69 +63) / 2) -5 = 61 inches.
    • Or, for a male child, ((69 + 63) / 2) + 3 = 69 inches (180 cm), or ((69 + 63) / 2) + 5 = 71 inches.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Predicting Final Height Based on a Child's Current Height

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  1. This is probably the simplest method possible, based strictly on the child’s height at an early age. [4]
    • For instance, a female child who is 32 inches (81.3 cm) at 18 months would be predicted to reach 64 inches (160 cm) (5’4”), while a male child who is 36 inches (91.4 cm) at 2 years would be predicted to reach 72 inches (180 cm) (6').
    • The +/- 4 inch (10.2 cm) margin of error stands for this method as well.
  2. This method derives from a 1994 journal article, [5] and relies on a more complex scaling of equations based on six factors: sex of the child; mother’s height; father’s height; child’s height; child’s weight; and child’s age.
    • This method is recommended for children ages 4 and above.
    • Unless you really want to test your math skills, rely on a website calculator to make this determination.
    • For example, a 40-inch, 45-pound, 4-year old female child, with a mother at 63 inches (160 cm) and father at 69 inches, is predicted to reach 63 inches (160 cm) (5’3”).
    • The 90% margin of error for this method is approximately 2 inches (5.1 cm), meaning 90% of children with the above criteria would reach between 61 and 65 inches.
  3. This method originated in 1959, [6] and has been updated several times. It involves taking an x-ray of the child’s left hand, fingers, and wrist, and using a comparison of bone age to chronological age.
    • This one is obviously not a do-at-home prediction method. Discuss your interest in this method with your child’s physician.
    • This method is considered somewhat (but not substantially) more accurate than the Khamis-Roche Method.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Predicting Final Height for a Child Age Eight and Above

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  1. [7] Khamis-Roche and bone age methods can also be used for children in this age range.
    • Released in 2005, [8] this method utilizes the child’s sex, date of birth, date of test, height, sitting height, and weight.
    • There are online calculators for this method as well.
    • For example, a female child born May 5, 2003; tested May 5, 2015; height 63 inches (160 cm); sitting height 49 inches; weight 120 pounds; can expect to reach 64.7 inches (164.3 cm) (5’5”).
  2. Even these methods used on teenagers who are nearing their final heights retain a margin of error. There are so many factors in final height that no prediction method can be entirely accurate. Growth spurts vary in occurrence and duration, environmental factors can change, and so on. The only way to know for sure is to wait and see.
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  • Question
    My dad is 5'11" and my mom is 5'2" and I'm 4'10" at 12 Years old. How tall will I be?
    Community Answer
    This is impossible to predict. Your final height will be the result of a genetic calculus that cannot be solved simply with the minimal data provided here, or at all, really. Even if the height of everybody throughout your family tree were given, the answer would still be impossible to give.
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  • Question
    I'm a 15-year-old boy. My mom is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, and my dad is 6 feet, 3 inches. How tall will I be?
    Community Answer
    Based on the height difference, you should be approximately 6 feet tall.
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  • Question
    Can I be taller in just 30 minutes?
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    Community Answer
    Not safely. Please don't try to force yourself to be taller, you could injure your spine or muscles.
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      References

      1. ↑ Gray H. “Prediction of Adult Stature.” Child Development 1948; 19, 3: 167-75.
      2. ↑ http://www.infantchart.com/heightpredictor.php
      3. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/child-growth/faq-20057990
      4. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/child-growth/faq-20057990
      5. ↑ Khamis HJ, Roche AF. “Predicting Adult Stature Without Using Skeletal Age: the Khamis-Roche Method.” Pediatrics 1994; 94: 504-7.
      6. ↑ Greulich WW, Pyle SI. Radiographic Atlas of Skeletal Development of the Hand and Wrist, 2nd edition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1959.
      7. ↑ http://www.topendsports.com/testing/height-prediction.htm
      8. ↑ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051023123737.htm

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