Height prediction tool devised

[emad]

A simple calculation using a child's date of birth and body measurements can predict adult height, say researchers.

Many children and their parents are interested to know how tall they will be as adults.

A hurdle has been accounting for an individual's biological maturity at the time of measurement - some children are early while others are late "bloomers".

A Belgian and Canadian team told the Journal of Pediatrics how they overcame this problem with a maths equation.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4356400.stm

[Soloflecks]

1. I'd always heard

that at 3 yrs old we are exactly 1/2 of our future adult height. It seems to be true; at least it was for my son.

[emad]

4. Mother nature not always so damned accurate: I'm 5ft6ins, but my

two eldest boys a smidgin off 6ft 8ins. And two of my daughters are 5ft 12and a half .....

[Mabus]

5. Don't ask me how they determined this but

my parents measured us when were 18 months old and doubled it. They're "predictions" have been very accurate. They got all of within +/-1.5 inches of our adult height. They had me pegged at 5'8", I'm 5'8 1/4". They figured my youngest brother would be 6' 8", he turned out to be just under 6' 9". BTW, we're early bloomers.

[flowomo]

2. I love the people who say "maths"

just one of those Brit things. My friends from India all say that too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Simple rule of thumb for boys

Double the child's height on their third birthday. This in fact overestimated my 2 brothers and me by an inch or two.

[electron_blue]

6. That simple rule overestimated my height by a whopping

7 inches. I was supposed to be 6 feet based on that, but I barely made 5'5". I grew like gangbusters til 10 yrs old, then nuthin'

I wonder if it'll be more accurate for my child. Hmmmmm.