The important things to remember when assessing growth are:
- Make sure measurements are made accurately and plotted accurately
- Poor growth velocity is more concerning than short stature
- Look at height AND weight centiles
- Look at the parents' heights - a child may be normal height for their age, but short for their family
- Poor growth is the end point for many different pathologies NOT just hormone problems
As a rule:
- Tall & fat is unlikely to be an endocrine problem
- Short & fat is much more likely to be an endocrine problem