Girls grow at a quick pace throughout infancy and childhood. When they reach puberty, growth increases dramatically again.
Girls usually stop growing and reach adult height by 14 or 15 years old, or a couple years after menstruation begins.
Learn more about growth in girls, what to expect when it happens, and when you may want to call your child’s pediatrician.
Girls typically have a growth spurt in the one to two years before menstruation starts.
For most girls, puberty occurs between 8 and 13 years old and the growth spurt occurs between 10 and 14 years old. They grow just 1 to 2 additional inches in the year or two after getting their first period. This is when they reach their adult height.
Most girls reach their adult height by age 14 or 15. This age could be younger depending on when a girl first gets her period.
You may want to contact your child’s doctor if your daughter is 15 and hasn’t yet begun her period.
Breast development is often the first sign of puberty. Breasts may start developing 2 to 2 1/2 years before a girl gets her period.
Some girls may notice breast buds only a year after their first periods. Others may not begin developing breasts for three to four years after beginning menstruation.
The buds may not appear at the same time, but they usually appear within six months of one another.
Puberty hits boys slightly later than it does girls.
In general, boys begin puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 years old and experience growth spurts between 12 and 15 years old. This means their biggest growth spurt happens about two years after it does with girls.
Most boys stop gaining height by age 16, but their muscles may continue to develop.
There are many factors that affect growth, ranging from malnutrition to medications.
Some girls may see a delay in growth due to certain health conditions, such as growth hormone issues, severe arthritis, or cancer.
Genetic conditions play a role as well. For example, girls with Down syndrome, Noonan syndrome, or Turner syndrome may be shorter than their family members.
Girls with Marfan's syndrome may grow taller than their family members.
If you have concerns about your child’s growth, contact their pediatrician. Once a girl reaches puberty, growth will typically stop a couple of years after her first period. A teen who has delayed growth will have less time to grow before the end of her spurt.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the mean, or average, age-adjusted height for adult women 20 years old and up is 63.7 inches. That’s just under 5 foot 4 inches.
Height by age
At 8 years old, the earliest start of puberty, half of all American girls will be under 50.2 inches (127.5 cm) tall. This means that a lot of growth occurs during a short period of time.
The following information comes from a CDC chart from 2000:
| Age (years) | 50th percentile height for girls (inches and centimeters) |
| 8 | 50.2 in. (127.5 cm) |
| 9 | 52.4 in. (133 cm) |
| 10 | 54.3 in. (138 cm) |
| 11 | 56.7 in. (144 cm) |
| 12 | 59.4 in. (151 cm) |
| 13 | 61.8 in. (157 cm) |
| 14 | 63.2 in. (160.5 cm) |
| 15 | 63.8 in. (162 cm) |
| 16 | 64 in. (162.5 cm) |
| 17 | 64 in. (163 cm) |
| 18 | 64 in. (163 cm) |
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