Evidence
Original publication
Tanner JM, Goldstein H, Whitehouse RH. Standards for children's height at ages 2–9 years allowing for heights of parents. Derived the mid-parental height adjustment (± 13 cm between the sexes) and target-height range used to interpret a child's growth against their genetic potential.
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1970
Guideline
The mid-parental height is a rough estimate: the ± 8.5 cm target range corresponds to roughly the 3rd–97th centile of expected adult height, and the estimate is less reliable when parental heights are extreme, when a parent's height is reported rather than measured, or in the presence of a growth disorder. Always plot the child on a contemporary, population-appropriate growth chart and assess growth velocity over time; a persistent deviation from the target range warrants paediatric assessment.
Last reviewed: 2026-09
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