Anyone's DC drop in percentiles (slowed growth pattern)?

[tatermom]

DS2 just had his 3 year checkup today and was measured for height and weight. I'd been noting in the past 6 months that he seems to be a lot shorter than kids of the same age, and even kids that are much younger (we frequently run into kids at the playground that are his height but are 20-24 months old). Well, it turns out my suspicions were confirmed. He is measuring at 25th percentile, down from 60th percentile a year ago (he was 75th percentile at 18 months and 80th percentile at 1 year old). Other than being small for his age, he seems perfectly normal to me (and his pediatricians confirmed this): physically active, eats well, sleeps well, ahead of many of his peers verbally, etc. I would *not* be concerned if he were just a small kid (i.e. if he'd been measuring 25th percentile all along)... but I am concerned that his growth seems to have slowed so much. We do have short genes in our family (my sister is barely 5', my dad is 5'6"), but DS1 has always measured 80th percentile, due to DH's genes, I suppose. So I don't know if DS2 is just showing a different growth pattern than DS1 or if this is a potential problem. Pediatrician wants DS2 to come back in 4 months for a follow-up and likely blood work to explore hormones (and an x-ray of the bones of his wrist, to test for bone growth/development?? never had heard of that one...).

I'm trying not to be too concerned but I really feel like I need more information about potential growth issues that I know nothing about. Please, anyone out there BTDT with a kid who showed a similar growth pattern? Anyone with any ideas about questions that I should ask, or advice on testing to do or not do? TIA!!

[jillmamma]

Is it just in height that he is dropping percentiles or weight too? If just height, do you think he may be putting more growth into weight for now, and later height will catch back up?

[tatermom]

Hmm, good question, jillmamma. The ped didn't mention the percentile for weight but I just looked it up and it looks like he's about 50th percentile. So is that more cause for concern or less? I've been doing a little research and looking into "Constitutional Growth Delay", wondering if that might apply to DS (my brother also had very slow growth through childhood, was the smallest kid in high school, but then continued to grow throughout college and is 5' 10" now). But I don't know if that applies now, if DS's height and weight are increasing at different rates??

Thanks for replying!