When girls stop growing, and how it all relates to puberty

At what age do girls stop growing?

There's no exact timing on when girls stop growing – it's individual – but most girls reach their adult height by around age 15.

A girl will typically have a long growth spurt during puberty that lasts about two years. This growth spurt kicks off around the time her breasts start to develop and ends about six months before her first menstrual period.

When a girl starts menstruating, her growth slows. "Most girls grow another one to two inches after getting their period, but increased height beyond that is less common," says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).Opens a new window Girls typically stop growing earlier than boys because they start puberty earlier than boys.

If you're wondering where your daughter's height will max out, try our Child Height Predictor! It's a helpful estimate, give or take a couple inches.

When does puberty start and stop in girls?

Puberty for girls typically starts around age 10, with a normal range of 8 to 13 years old. And it ends right around the time girls get their first menstrual period, about two to three years later.

The average age for menarche (the start of menstruation) is 12.2 years. There's some small variation depending on race. For Black girls, the average age for menarche is 11.8 years, for Hispanic girls it's 11.6 years, for Asian girls it's 12.0 years, and for white girls it's 12.5.

If your daughter hasn't started breast development by age 13, or she hasn't had her period by age 15, she may have delayed puberty. If she starts to show signs of puberty before age 8, she may be experiencing precocious puberty.

A number of factors can affect when puberty starts, such as genes, nutrition, health conditions, and medications. Even the kinds of foods girls eat may have an effect. In one large analysisOpens a new window, girls who ate excess protein and carbohydrates during childhood were more likely to have their periods start earlier than girls who didn't.

Research indicates that girls are starting puberty earlier than they used to. (One large reviewOpens a new window found that the onset of puberty decreased an average of almost 3 months per decade from 1977 to 2013.) While studies point to possible causes, it's not clear exactly why this is happening.

"We don't know why, but we're seeing puberty hit earlier these days," says Chandani DeZure, M.D., a pediatrician, neonatal and pediatric hospitalist, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.

Some studies show that children who start puberty earlier actually take longer to reach maturity and spend longer in puberty. Interestingly, some researchOpens a new window shows that early puberty doesn't affect a girl's final height.

How will I know if my daughter is in puberty?

Puberty is your daughter's transition from childhood to adulthood, and she'll go through dramatic changes physically and psychologically as her brain and ovaries send hormones through her body.

To repeat … expect dramatic changes.

"If you're a parent to a tween or teenage girl, you'll know when puberty starts because the signs are not subtle," says Dr. DeZure.

Here are the things to watch for:

Breast buds

The appearance of breast buds under the nipples are often the first sign of puberty. A girl's areola (the dark skin around the nipple) darkens further and may look swollen. Her breasts may be tender, one breast might start growing before the other, and the breasts may be different sizes. This is all normal, according to The American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsOpens a new window (ACOG).

Breast growth continues throughout puberty, as mammary glands and fatty tissues develop. Your daughter's breasts may stop growing when menstruation starts, or they may continue to grow slightly for another few years.

Hair growth

Your daughter will begin to grow hair under her arms, in her genital area, and on her legs. In about 15% of girls, pubic hair shows up before breast budding. The hair will start light and fine and gradually grow thicker and darker.

Vaginal discharge

About 6 to 12 months before their first period, many girls have small to moderate amounts of vaginal discharge (called leukorrhea) in response to increased estrogen. The discharge is usually clear or white and is perfectly normal. In fact, it helps keep the vagina clean and healthy.

Skin changes

Increased hormone levels can also cause the skin to make more oil and sweat. Your daughter may find that she's sweating more and has increased body odor, as well as acne. She might want to start using deodorant or antiperspirant once she enters puberty.

Changes in body size

Girls get taller and heavier during puberty. Limbs typically grow before the trunk, which is why your child may look like she's "all hands and feet" until the rest of her body catches up.

You may notice her hips getting wider and her waistline looking smaller. Her vulva and labia will increase in size, and her vagina and uterus also grow.

This is a crucial time to support your daughter and encourage her to have a positive body image. If you're looking for pointers, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests five ways to promote a positive body image for kidsOpens a new window.

Emotional challenges

With increases of estrogen and progesterone, your child may feel irritable and moody some of the time. (If you experience PMS, you'll relate.) She may show more concern about how she looks, and she may feel stressed and insecure. At the same time, she's better able to verbalize her emotions, so encourage her to share with you, and get her professional help if needed.

Average growth curve for girls

Feel like your daughter is outgrowing her clothes every time you turn around? She has a lot of growing to do to reach her adult height and weight! You'll see the fastest growth when your daughter is a baby and toddler, but she'll continue growing like a weed clear through puberty.

Before puberty, here's an average of how much girls grow in weight and height:

From birth to 1 year – 12.75 pounds and 9.7 inches

From 1 to 2 years – 6.8 pounds and 4.4 inches

From 2 to 3 years – 3.94 pounds and 3.5 inches

From 3 to 4 years – 4.44 pounds and 3 inches

From 4 to 5 years – 4.63 pounds and 2.5 inches

From 5 to 6 years – 5.06 pounds and 2.5 inches

From 6 to 7 years – 5.75 pounds and 3 inches

From 7 to 8 years – 6.38 pounds and 2.5 inches

From 8 to 9 years – 6.97 pounds and 1.91 inches

From 9 to 10 years – 6.5 pounds and 2.0 inches

Read more about average weight and growth for children from birth through 8 years old.

During puberty, a girl will grow more than two inches each year. (The largest growth – almost 3 inches – typically happens around age 11 or 12, right before she gets her first period.) She'll add a noticeable amount of weight, too, both during and after puberty.

After she gets her period, growth slows, but a girl can still grow two to three inches total. By around 15 years old, she'll probably be at her adult height.

Here's how much growth a girl will average during and after puberty:

From 10 to 11 years – 8.77 pounds and 2.39 inches

From 11 to 12 years – 10.14 pounds and 2.84 inches

From 12 to 13 years – 11.33 pounds and 2.3 inches

From 13 to 14 years – 11.94 pounds and 1.24 inches

From 14 to 15 years – 11.63 pounds and .56 inches

From 15 to 16 years – 10.13 pounds and 0.26 inches

Signs that your child has stopped growing

Some signs that your daughter has stopped growing include:

• Slowed growth in the past year or two
• Pubic and underarm hair
• Loss of babyish features, such as their rounded face
• A more adult-like body, with fuller breasts and hips

When to talk to the doctor about your child's growth

There's a wide range of normal when it comes to a child's growth, so don't worry if your daughter doesn't exactly match the averages. Her doctor has likely charted her growth on a growth chart during her well-child checkups and watched for steady progress through the years.

At the same time, numbers well outside the norm can signal an underlying medical problem, so ask your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your child's growth. Bring it to the doctor's attention if your child:

• Is showing signs of puberty before age 8
• Hasn't shown signs of puberty by age 13
• Hasn't had her period by age 15
• Started developing breasts more than 3 years ago and hasn't had her period
• Started her period more than 2 years ago but they're not regular. (It's normal to have irregular periods for the first year or so.)
• Has periods with severe cramps, heavy bleeding, or severe PMS

Read more:

• Raising boys and girls: Differences in development
• Activities that boost physical development
• The connection between sleep and growth