As a child I used to eagerly wait for the clock to strike midnight on New Year's Eve because I ascribed to the belief that enthusiastically jumping up and down at that time would make me grow taller in the year to come. 

As I got older, I realized that this jumping probably did not contribute much to my height, as I only grew to a fraction shy of five feet tall.  And as I studied to become a doctor, I learned that one's adult height is a result of many factors, including genetics, nutrition and exercise, but definitely not jumping up and down on New Year's Eve.

Height can also depend on one's perception of it. I am much shorter than my husband, but his parents are also much taller than my parents, so it is no surprise that he is tall as well. I have accepted that our children are also growing to be taller than me, owing to their father's height.  

The majority of patients who consult a physician for concerns about height are children whose parents feel they are shorter than what they consider normal. Most children who are short are actually healthy and do not have any medical problems. They can be short because:

•     One or both of parents are short. If one or both parents are under 5'5" you can't expect your child to be six feet tall.

•     They are growing more slowly than normal and have their growth spurt later than other children. But these children will grow to a normal height as adults.

•     They had a growth spurt early. For a while, they are taller than other children their age. But then other children catch up and grow taller.